Heirs of Snakes and Pharoahs
by Katie Macpherson
Summary: Lily Potter has a secret, a secret she discovered an hour after her marriage to James. A secret that would destroy her if it got out. But when Severus Snape rushes to Godric's Hollow on Halloween, he encounters a dying Lily who tells him her secret. It is something that will change his life forever. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

Lily Evans Potter stared down at the object in her hands, horror filling her up from the inside.

She had been pacing for the past ten minutes, her dread mounting as she waited. Her hands were shaking and she could feel the sweat trickling down her back.

If any one of her close friends and family had seen her at that moment, they would have wondered what the matter was. After all, just over an hour ago, Lily had married the man of her dreams, James Potter. They were all set to begin the perfect life together with their friends and family around them. Everyone she had cared for was here.

Well except for one, but she had tried not to think about that. She had sent a wedding invitation but had received nothing in response. She didn't think that he would've shown up, but she had hoped.

But the absence of the one person she had wished to see was a small matter when compared to the situation she was facing now.

What the hell was she going to do? James would call it the ultimate betrayal, he would leave her, and she would be left with nothing. There would be no one she could go to for help.

Severus already hated her, and she didn't blame him. What she had done to him was terrible. But what was she supposed to do? She had made a horrible mistake and now she was suffering the consequences of her actions.

What would her parents say when they learned of it? Petunia would no doubt crow in triumph, reveling in the fact that her perfect sister had finally made such a monumental mistake and disgraced herself.

Lily suddenly felt weak in the knees. She stumbled and nearly fell before reaching out mechanically, pulling out a nearby chair and practically falling into it. She had barely sat down before the tears began to fall.

In all her life, she had never messed up this badly. What was going to happen? James would hate her, Sirius and Remus would hate her. She'd end up on the street without a penny to her name...

Suddenly, she raised face from where it had been buried in her hands. No, none of that was going to happen because no one would ever know.

She got up and paced the room, the sound of party goers coming through the door every so often. The reception was still going on downstairs, and James wouldn't be up for a couple of hours at least.

Long enough for her to do what she had to do.

Lily got up from her chair still in her wedding dress, and walked purposefully into the bathroom. She picked up her wand from where she had dropped it on the carpet and shut her eyes and her teeth going over the spell that would obliterate this secret forever.

But just like a person who had had cold water splashed all over them, Lily suddenly gasped and opened her eyes, realizing what she had been about to do.

And then a guilt worse than the one that had occurred previously crashed over her like a wave, and the newly wedded Mrs. Potter sank to her knees on the floor of the bathroom and sobbed.

Ω

He had been holding the piece of paper for the past hour, just staring at it. Today was the day, in fact it had probably already happened.

And she had the audacity to send him an invitation! The woman he loved was marrying his mortal enemy and she wanted him to be there to watch it take place.

"Lily Evans, you are one of the cruelest witches I have ever met," he muttered staring at the invitation, before picking up the ever present glass of fire whiskey on the table and downing the rest of it in one swallow.

The last time Severus Snape had seen the beautiful red head had been about six weeks ago. She had come to him in tears about something James had did or said, crying that they were over forever.

The dark haired former Slytherin wanted to curse himself for his weakness when it came to the muggle born but he had never been able to say no to Lily, never been able to turn her away, and the sight of her crying was enough to make him want to rip James Potter apart with his bare hands.

So they had sat, they had talked for a long time. He feared the fire whiskey had loosened their tongues and self-restraint much more than it should have done, and so that was how Severus Snape woke up the next morning...with a pounding head ache and heart that was even more broken then it had been before.

It wasn't long after that he had received news of the engagement of Lily Evans and James Potter, who were set to wed in six weeks.  
Why they had chosen so soon a date he would never know, probably so Lily could rub it in his face that she had someone and that he never would.  
He got up to pour himself another glass, his mind changing gears as he did so. Perhaps it was time for him to take Lucius up on his offer to change sides. At least it would occupy his mind, give him something to pour his energy into instead of wallowing in self-pity. He could put his passion to good use.

_"__I don't know why you delay the Dark Lords requests and entreaties Severus. Don't you want power? The chance to wreak havoc on your enemies? On all those who mistreated you? You would have that with him, all that and more! I know you suffered at the hands of those Marauders in school. With the Dark Lord you would be able to hear them beg for mercy, to crawl on their hands and knees groveling for life! Don't you want that?"_

_ "__Lucius, you know I am not a violent person. Do I hate the Marauders? Yes. But I do not want power. I want escape. I want to go somewhere and live my life away from all of this and live quietly. You are so certain that the Dark Lord will win this war, but I am not. And I am not a Slytherin if I am not crafty and cunning. If I want my future to be in anyone's hands, it is my own."_

_ "__He will not be pleased to learn of your refusal," Lucius said looking someone nervous and Severus examined his friend carefully. He already knew that Riddle had emotional control over his followers, and that was something he didn't want._

_ "__I am not refusing Lucius. I am simply requesting time to consider my options."_

That had been about five weeks ago, a few days after Lily had left his life for the last time.

Truthfully, he hadn't known why he had resisted when the dark part of him was calling out for vengeance. But then he had remembered the promise he had made after fifth year, how he had sworn he wouldn't go down that path again.

And he had stuck to it, it wasn't something he was about to change now.

Severus Snape was a genius with potions, it had been his passion ever since he was a small child. They were his one great escape from all the pain that had been his life. He had thought that things would be better once he started school at Hogwarts, but it wasn't to be. He was bullied and ostracized and his only friend had been Lily. But in the end, she too had abandoned him by marrying the man who had made his life at Hogwarts a living hell.

There were days when he wished he had never met Lily Evans, days when he wished he couldn't feel.

But as Severus poured alcohol into his glass for what felt like the millionth time, a sudden realization came to him. Or I suppose you could call it an epiphany.

If he were honest with himself, he knew that joining the Dark Lord was never something he was interested in. He didn't want power, he just wanted a loving partner in his life. He had thought that partner might have been Lily, but she had proven time and again that it would never happen. He wanted to help people, to make something of himself. He wanted to show all those that had doubted him that Severus Snape was more then what he appeared.

Severus knew that he would always love Lily, would always want to keep her safe, and would never wish any ill on her. But he needed to quit pining for her, quit her before she killed him.

With that thought in mind, he put the bottle of fire whiskey back into the cupboard and poured the rest of the alcohol down the sink drain.

He was done pining after Lily Evans. He refused to say Potter because that was just like rubbing salt in the wound. He wished her well, but he doubted if he would ever see her again, and maybe that was a good thing.

As he turned away from the kitchen of his old house, he happened to catch sight of his reflection in the hall mirror and cringed. His eyes were dark purple bags under his bloodshot eyes and his skin was an unhealthy pallor. He was wearing his customary all black robes, but they were wrinkled beyond belief.

The potions prodigy stood there for a few minutes just staring at his reflection. Was this what a woman had reduced him to? The man staring back at him was an overall pathetic looking creature.

When had he gotten this low? It must have been six weeks ago when he woke up to find her gone and a note left beside him with only two words.

_I'm sorry._

Not as sorry as he had been when he realized he had been taken in for the final time.

Well no more.

Severus Snape was through with Lily Potter, with her memories, with her images, with her beautiful green eyes and her perfect smile. He was done. It would be a cold day in hell before another woman put anything over on him.

In his heart of hearts, the potions master would always love Lily Potter, and want to keep an eye on her, but he was done with the heartache. He didn't deserve this, he deserved to have some happiness.

And that was exactly what he was going to do.

Turning on his heel, the potions master strode into the bathroom and splashed some water on his pale cheeks before rubbing them vigorously with a terry cloth towel. He looked up into the mirror and smiled grimly at his reflection.

A little sparkle had come back into his dark eyes as he thought about what he was going to do.

Severus Snape was overdue for a holiday.

His cousin Antonius had been pestering him to come visit since he had finished his seventh year at Hogwarts four years ago. Up until now, Severus had declined the invitations, wanting to be near Lily, hoping that his presence would dissuade her from marrying James.

Now that he realized the absurdity of these notions, Severus felt his iron clad will begin to forge again.

Never again would he become as low as a worm for a woman. No, his future was now his own, and he would be damned if he continued on like this.

He strode out of the bathroom and down the hall to his bedroom. He jerked open the closet door and retrieved his suitcase from the top shelf. He opened it and tossed it onto the bed before sweeping half the clothes in his closet out of it and dropping them into the trunk.  
He then set about packing his potions which took a considerable amount of time given the quantity of them. But at last he was finished. He shut his suitcases with a thud and strode over to the fire place, snatching a handful of green floo powder as he did so.

Without pausing to consider that what he was about to do was far outside of the bounds of a normal Severus Snape, the potions master flung the emerald powder into the fireplace and called out in a loud clear voice:

"The Andronicus Villa, Sicily."

About ten seconds later, the face of his cousin appeared in the flames. As soon as Antonius realized who was calling him, a grin split his tanned face.

"Severus! How good it is to see you! How fares my British cousin?"

The former Slytherin tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace instead. Antonius's smile faltered and instead took on a sympathetic expression.

"It is Lily isn't it?" He asked quietly. Severus took a deep breath.

When they were children Antonius and he had been very close. The only difference was that the Italian was far more outgoing. They were both potions prodigies and could often be found down in their respective labs discovering the secrets that came out of their dark cauldrons. Antonius had gone to Durmstrang much to the disappointment of his cousin who had wished that the two would attend Hogwarts together.

Over the years however, the two still kept in close contact, especially after Severus's home life had taken a disastrous turn. Antonius knew all about the childhood of his cousin and would often offer him a safe haven from enduring his father's wrath. In turn he also knew all about Lily and how the redhead had broken his cousin's heart again and again.

"Is the invitation to visit still open Antonius?" The potions master replied instead of replying directly.

"Of course it is! You know you are always welcome here. Why just the other day mother was telling me how long it's been since she has seen you."

Severus managed a small smile, but his heart was lightened by his cousin's words. Yes it was indeed time for a holiday, a very long one.

He returned to his bed and retrieved the two suitcases lying on the top of the blanket, before turning back to the fireplace to face his cousin.

"Then I think that this time, I will be accepting it," he said and the grin on his cousins face grew even wider. "Excellent, the house elves will have your room prepared for when you arrive. When will you get here?"

"Within the hour," Severus replied. "I'm long overdue for a holiday and it will be a monumental relief to be away from England."

Ω

_several months later..._

Lily Potter was lying on a bed in the examining ward at St Mungo's hospital. Her breathing was shallow but she was trying to be as quiet as possible lest her husband James hear.

He was sitting on a chair a few feet away. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were closed as he waited patiently for the healer.

Lily turned her face away from him and looked out the window at the bright sunshine. There was nothing wrong with the pregnancy, she told herself. It was just a routine checkup to make sure that the baby was healthy.

There was nothing wrong.

There was nothing wrong.

There was nothing wrong.

The door opened and the healer walked in, still wearing the customary blue robes that befitted their station at St Mungo's. Immediately upon seeing the healer, James got to his feet and looked at her expectantly.

The witch gave him a smile as he went over to stand beside his wife and took her hand.

"Is everything alright?" Lily asked, her voice clouded with anxiety.

In answer to her question, the healer pulled a chart out from the folds of her robe and examined it carefully before turning and fixing the anxious witch and her husband with a smile.

"Everything is better than alright," the healer said looking up from the chart again. "Congratulations, you are having twins."

James had to grab the back of the chair in front of him to keep from stumbling and Lily just gaped at the healer her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Twins," James choke out finally. "Are you sure?"

The healer nodded. "A healthy set of twins, a boy and girl. Congratulations."

"Did you hear that Lil?" James asked barely able to raise his voice above a whisper. "We're having twins."

The redheaded witch risked a glance at her husband, fearing that he would be angry or at the very least overwhelmed. But a grin was slowly spreading across his features splitting his entire face.

When the healer finally left, after telling Lily that she could change behind the curtained off area of the room, James grabbed her hand as she sat up on the bed.

"I can't believe it Lil," he said in a hushed whisper. "We're going to be parents, and not just of a boy or a girl, but of twins!"

Lily gave him a weak smile as she got up off the bed and walked to the curtained off area to put her robes back on and change out of the hospital ones.

As she shut the curtain and hid herself from her husband, Lily had to resist the urge to shed tears.

So far she had managed to keep the secret, but the fact that she was having twins had rocked her world. She rubbed her belly slowly thinking through the possibilities of the future. She had been strangely fortunate these last few months.

She had kept her face curiously expressionless, never giving too much away and James had been too happy when she told him she was pregnant to ask any questions.

Lily looked down at her rapidly growing belly. Her fears had calmed somewhat after the first few months, and after her disastrous wedding night, she had determined that her child would not suffer for her mistakes.

The fact that she was having twins threw into sharp relief the fact that this secret needed to be more well-guarded then ever. She didn't regret the two lives growing inside of her, but she did feel sad for the choices that had brought them into this world, but the blame for that rested with her. Her children would never know what she had almost done in a moment of weakness, she didn't even know what had come over her all those months ago, but whatever it was, it hadn't been Lily Evans.

She was determined to give her children as much love and care as she could, and she knew James would do the same. These little lives were innocent and she swore that they would stay that way.

As the witch dressed herself, she affirmed once more that she would tell no one. That she would take this secret to her grave.

No one would ever know that James Potter was not the father of her children.

Ω


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

One year later...

The sun was shining brightly as Severus Snape walked the beach of the small island of Sicily. The waves were lapping calmly on the shore and there was not a cloud in the sky. Miles and miles of white sand stretched out before him, completely devoid of footprints. A gentle breeze was blowing and it lifted his long black hair off of his shoulders.  
He was dressed in Muggle clothes, because it would look supremely odd if he were to wear his black robes on the beach. But even if he were wearing his robes they wouldn't be all black anymore.  
After a year and a half spent in Italy, the potions master had decided he didn't want to wear all black anymore. He still liked dark colors but now dim reds greens, blues, browns and greys dotted his closet. It was in fact a welcome change.  
Antonius had said that the environmental adjustment had done him wonders, and as usual his cousin was right. Being away from cold wet grey England had improved Severus's disposition immensely. He now smiled frequently and laughed even more, he felt content and was pursuing his passion.  
As soon as the former Slytherin had landed in Sicily, Antonius had informed him of an apprenticeship with one of the most well established potions masters in Italy, and his cousin had wasted no time in landing the job.  
Master Romano was a serious man who cared naught for reputation and expected the greatest discipline from his understudies. But he was also a patient individual and possessed a wicked sense of humor.  
He had learned much under the potions master, far more than Slughorn had ever seen it fit to teach him.  
All in all it was a situation that was benefitting him in leaps and bounds. Severus was rapidly progressing to his bronze cauldron status and he couldn't have been more pleased. His cousin and Aunt Emalia were incredible people and under their support and encouragement, Severus was thriving.  
For the first time in his life, he was able to say that he was truly happy. There were times when he still thought about Lily, but that was only natural. The memory of her was no longer able to make him break down or want to scream in rage like it used to. He was calm and rational whenever she entered his mind.  
Antonius had proven an excellent listener when his cousin had first arrived and advised him that he had made the right decision in choosing to leave England. He also said that if Severus ever made the decision to return, that he should only see Lily if the situation demanded it, which the sable haired young man thought to be sound advice.  
For now he had no plans to return seeing as how the situation in magical Britain was growing dire.  
As many predicted, Lord Voldemort was wreaking havoc and the repercussions of his actions were being felt throughout the wizarding world. Severus and Antonius were watching the situation with growing unease. If something wasn't done to stop the madman soon, the world as they knew it would change.  
For now, they were safe, but for how long was the question. Along with the Death Eaters, Severus was also keeping tabs on the Order of the Phoenix. He hadn't made a decision to join their side, instead deciding to opt on a third choice.  
But it was always good to be informed. Over the past year, he had received letters from Lucius, asking him if he had reconsidered his offer. Each wanting him to join their side. He had said no to both as potions was his first love. He had no desire to ally himself with an unknown outcome. He was polite of course and had to call on all of his Slytherin cunning in order to remain neutral.

Salazar would have been proud.  
For his part, Severus did not fear Voldemort, he believed the man would have no reason to harm him since he had never gotten in his way. But it was also a reason to be cautious as he had been the best brewer in Slytherin house in the last forty years since Slughorn had been a teacher. Talents like that had gotten him noticed, and he knew he had made the right decision in leaving the country and lying low.

It was times like this when he thought of Lily. Her status as a Muggleborn witch would be in jeopardy.  
The potions master slowed his walk as he thought about her. He wondered if she and Potter had taken the proper precautions. If they had hid themselves away from the prying eyes of the Dark Lord.  
But then he had to remind himself, that he had chosen this life for a reason, to heal and make something of himself. He would never be allowed to do that if he had remained in Britain. He had to remind himself to wish Lily well, he hoped she would be happy, because no matter how she had broken his heart, she still deserved joy.  
Severus took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air and gave a small smile as he looked out to sea. Sicily was a beautiful island, and his cousin having taken the Andronicus title from their uncle Claudius a few years ago, had made it even more spectacular.

The villa was occupied about ten acres and was down by the beach where only the extremely wealthy lived. It was centuries old and had been there since the time of the Inquisition. It was about three stories and all the floors were inlaid with black and white marble. The whole house was airy and opened up to let the light and the sea breeze in. Even from this distance a mile down the beach, Severus could still see it. It was painted beaches and deep russet colors to match the ruddy shades of the sand. The terrace where he, his cousin and aunt often had dinner was fifty feet wide and offered a spectacular view of the ocean.

All in all, there was no place that Severus would rather be.  
The Andronicus family was a very old and well-known name among the circle of pure bloods. But unlike those staunch crotchety upper crust wizards in England who occupied the "scared twenty eight," Snape's family wasn't afraid to mingle. His mother's sister Emilia had married into the Andronicus family, but some of them had chosen to marry Muggle born and half-bloods. Because if there was anything the family detested more than arrogant wizards, it was the concept of inbreeding.  
Every member of the sacred twenty eight was related to each other in some way, and the Andronicus house found that horrifying and appalling.  
Snape himself appreciated that fact about his family, in fact he had been a ward of theirs ever since his parents died in his fourth year at school. It wasn't something he liked to talk about. But the times he spent in the company of his aunt, cousin and late Uncle Claudius, were some of his happiest memories.  
As he walked, out of the corner of his eye, Severus spotted a large log that had been washed ashore, slowly he headed towards it and sat down. It was getting on in the afternoon and the sky was lit in that lovely golden glow that betrayed that it was later in the day.  
Yes, life was looking up, and Severus Snape, for once in all his time as a wizard, didn't want to change a thing.

Ω

Lily Potter carefully set the twins down in the crib before straightening up and smiling at them. They were only six months old but they were getting so big. When they had been born amidst great fanfare...namely her screaming and theirs, she had been surprised at the thick curly shock of black hair on each of them. Just like their father, she thought sighing in sorrow.  
But when they opened their eyes she had almost gasped in delight. The beautiful little irises were a perfect combination of hers and their fathers. While her eyes were a jade green, their fathers had been very dark, which tempered their color somewhat. The twins' eyes were as large and evergreen as emeralds. It was certainly a unique shade, she had never seen eyes that color before.  
It was also amazing that at first glance they looked almost exactly like James. Only she could see the subtle tones and different mannerisms that were unique to their father. She was grateful that they looked enough like James that no one would ask questions, and if they did she could say that they just took after her. But this secret was a heavy burden. The truth was both terrifying and freeing. She didn't want her children growing up not knowing the truth but for right now, it had to remain hidden. It wouldn't be an issue until they were older.  
"Are they out?"  
Lily nearly jumped at the sound of James behind her. Her husband came up next to her and rested his hands on the bars of the crib, looking down at the children that weren't his.  
"My god they're beautiful aren't they?" He asked in wonderment looking down at the little boy and girl asleep in the crib. Lily nodded biting her lip. She wanted so badly to tell him, but for the sake of her children, she kept her mouth shut. James had an explosive temper and there was no telling how he would react. For the sake of Harry and Isabelle, she had to stay quiet a little longer.

Over the last year, she had thought of Severus almost every day and wanted to write him many times, explaining why, telling him how sorry she was how she wished things would have been different.

But she never did, afraid that James would find out.  
After looking at them a few moments longer, James turned and walked to the window of the nursery, looking out at the property of Godric's Hollow. He sighed and Lily wanted to sigh with him. She knew he was frustrated, she was too. They had been here ever since that damned prophecy had been issued. Ever since their children had been declared the Saviors of the Wizarding World.  
Whatever the hell that meant.  
She noticed that Dumbledore had been curiously vague when describing their lives. He had said that Trelawney had seen that they would be incredibly powerful and they and they alone could defeat Lord Voldemort. Which was why they were hiding away in this tiny cottage. Because she was sure that Riddle knew by now, and that he would be coming after Harry and Isabelle.  
Lily felt secure in the cottage what with all the wards and charms Dumbledore had put up, but she still felt wary of the old man. Barring the fact that he had been their headmaster, she didn't completely trust him.  
Maybe it was the way he had issued the prophecy from Trelawney with such relish, or perhaps it was the way his eyes gleamed when he looked at the twins.  
But the more she thought about it, she was beginning to realize that Dumbledore and Voldemort were not as different as one might think. Both craved power, both would do whatever was necessary to get to the top. Voldemort was ruthless, but so was Dumbledore, the only difference being he was much more subtle about it, which in Lily's opinion made him even more dangerous.  
James wouldn't hear a bad word about the man though. She could clearly see why. Dumbledore had always favored James and his best friend Sirius, and all his talk about unity between the houses of Hogwarts was all rot.

The Gryffindor's would always be his favorites, and the Slytherin's of the world would always be left out in the cold. She hated him for that, hated him on behalf of Severus although she was sure the other man hated him as well.

Thinking about Severus caused her heart to clench. How had it all gone so wrong? He was her best friend….had been her best friend all throughout their childhood. She had made such a mess of things. She was buried up to her neck in secrets and lies, but she wasn't keeping them for herself anymore.

Lily turned away from the crib and walked to the window opposite James. She sighed as she looked out at the rapidly dying sun. As much as she hated being locked up, she couldn't deny that it was cozy.

It wouldn't be her ideal place to settle down and raise a family, but if it meant that Harry and Isabelle would be safe, then she would gladly make the sacrifice.

It wasn't just about the ridiculous prophesy any more. Albus was convinced that her children were like a pair of matched blades, that they would be the strongest duo the wizarding world had ever seen. But the last thing she wanted was for her children to be under a spotlight for the rest of their lives. They would never have a moment's peace, or worse, they might love the fame and grow to be as arrogant as James was when he was young.

"Lils?" Her husband's voice broke into her thoughts and she turned away from the window to face him. He looked tired and she didn't blame him. Just sitting there waiting for the other shoe to drop was exhausting. She had asked James many times if it would simply be safer for them to leave the country, but he had adamantly refused. His exact words were, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder and Harry and Isabelle shouldn't have to live like that either. If there's a threat, then I would rather face it head on."

He was such a mindless Gryffindor sometimes.

Although she couldn't completely disagree with his line of logic. But something needed to be done and soon.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. Her husband shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his clothes and stared at the floor for a few minutes before replying.

"Lils, if something were to happen to us, you know because of all this, I want the twins to go somewhere safe. And not to your sister, Merlin knows she and that walrus of a husband of her would abuse them."

Lily nodded. She already had a very good idea of where she would want the twins to go if the worst should occur. She knew James wouldn't like it, but she didn't care.

"Are you thinking we should write out our will?" she asked softly, and he nodded. She responded in the same way and both the older Potters turned and left the room, making their way down to the sitting room on the first floor.

James was going to throw a fit if he heard who she was planning to send them to, would claim he would be no better than Petunia, which was why Lily wasn't going to tell him. Unbeknownst to her husband, she had made a secret trip to Gringotts and drawn up a will to be placed into immediate effect upon her and James's death and the twins were still minors.

After the preparations for the secondary will had been drawn up and filed away, Lily walked over to the sitting room window and gazed across the field on the property at the dying sun.

"Are you alright Lil?" James asked as he came up behind her. Lily took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm just sick of being cooped up here."

"I know," he said wrapping his arms around her waist, "but until the dark lord is defeated Harry and Isabelle have to stay hidden. You heard what Dumbledore said. They have a unique bond and will probably be the most powerful biological set in hundreds of years. Their six months old and already demonstrating signs of magic. He cannot get his hands on them."

"I know, I know. I just wish I could go outside every so often. There are times when I feel like I can't breathe here." James clucked his tongue sympathetically. "Just remember that we're doing this for them. I don't want Harry and Belle to grow up in a world where Voldemort exists. You remember the prophesy. Together the two of them will be able to match him, and Dumbledore said they are the only ones with the power to defeat him."

Lily barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. James was beginning to sound like a broken record. His mindless hero worship of Dumbledore, leader of the light was beginning to become grating. She didn't care about some damned prophecy, she cared about her children and making sure that they were safe. Nothing else was more important as far as she was concerned.

Ω

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Severus asked urgently. His cousin nodded and the dark haired potions master ran a hand through his hair.

Upon his return from the beach to the house, Antonius had accosted him to tell him that a letter had arrived for him from legendary Potions Master Alastair Cambridge.

Severus had to be sure that his cousin wasn't joking. Cambridge was a legend in the Potions World. He had come farther than anyone else in developing a cure for lycanthropy, to the point if a person were to ingest a potion right before the full moon, the change would not occur. It was a monumental cure that was still being developed. Severus had secretly read all he could get his hands on about Cambridge since his fourth year and it had always been a secret dream of his to work with him.

They were standing in the sitting room that opened up onto the terrace and from there, the beach. It was large and had a generous fire place over top of which perched the large portrait of Claudius Andronicus I. However, their aunt Emilia had commissioned that a Muggle do this portrait as she had told the boys when they were young that some family shouldn't live on after death in portraits. She had only had it done because he was the founding member of the family.

Like everywhere else in the house, the floor was black and white marble which required no shoes since it was warm all year round. A warm breeze was blowing in from the ocean. The sitting room opened up into the lobby of the house which housed a marble circular staircase which curved around itself going all the way to the top floor. The windows were open offering a delightful view of the sea and the gorgeous flowerbeds that the house elves tended. It was through these windows that a beautiful black owl had flown, a letter tied to its leg which his cousin had retrieved. It was now sitting on the back of the plush divan waiting patiently for a reply.

Antonius grinned and held out the letter for his cousin. "Read it and see for yourself," he replied, smirking. Severus fairly snatched the letter from his hand and strode over to the fireplace to open it. He tore through the seal and yanked the parchment out, scanning the contents of the paper hungrily.

_To one Mr. Severus Snape: _it began.

_It has come to the attention of myself and my colleagues that you have achieved your bronze cauldron status, and that you are seeking an apprenticeship to further your studies. Your accomplishments are impressive for one so young. To be only twenty two years old and receiving your bronze cauldron is an admirable feat, and on that I myself would like to take part in._

Here Severus paused, his jaw slackening. He read on.

_This letter is to inform you that you are being offered a position of apprenticeship with myself, Alastair Cambridge. I await your letter within the next few days. If you should choose to accept this position, my laboratory will be waiting to receive your paper work and make formal in person arrangements at the London Location. 243 Hogsmeade is the address._

_We look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely_

_Alastair Cambridge_

Severus's hands were shaking by the time he had finished reading. "Sweet Merlin," he murmured aloud.

"Bloody hell!"

Severus jumped when he realized that his cousin had snuck up behind him to read the contents of the letter. He turned to face Antonius. The Italian was grinning from ear to ear and Severus found himself mirroring him.

"Sev, that's incredible! Alastair Cambridge never takes on apprentices. You must be the first one in fifty years. No one knows what he's working on until it's published and he'll often spend months shut up in his lab. No one's ever allowed to see his work, not even his publishers or family. In fact you'll probably-"

"Tony, take a breath," Severus said laughing. His momentary shock was wearing off, replaced with amusement at the ridiculous antics of his cousin. "Before you burst a blood vessel, just calm down."

"Calm down about what?" Asked the voice of his aunt as she came down the stairs and into the sitting room where her son and nephew were. Both Severus and Antonius whirled to face her.

Emilia was wearing a set of rust colored robes and her dark hair was wrapped into an elegant French roll. While she was aging, her face was still youthful and almost completely unlined except for the small indentations around her lips which indicated that she smiled a lot. Her eyes sparkled with mischief that reminded Severus of all the games they used to play when they were children. He smiled affectionately at her.

"Mother Severus has just been chosen for an apprenticeship with Alastair Cambridge," Antonius burst out. There was a moment of silence when Emilia said nothing, causing both young men to frown.

"Well that is very interesting," she said calmly. Never breaking eye contact with her son and nephew, she reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a similar white envelope to the one that Severus was holding.

"It is quite interesting," she said again calmly, her lips starting to pull into a smile, "because Antonius has just received a letter from Master Cambridge as well."

The silence that followed her sentence was deafening. Severus was sure his jaw had hit the floor and judging by the expression on his cousin's face, Antonius was about to go into cardiac arrest. Wordlessly, the Italian snatched the letter from his mother, tearing it open.

"This is bloody insane," he muttered to himself when he had finished reading. Severus took the parchment from his cousin's shaking fingers and examined it. He was unsurprised to that it was identical to his and stamped with the seal of the house of Cambridge.

"Congratulations cousin," he said happily. "It seems we'll both be working together." Antonius had sunk down on the divan and looked up at his cousin. A huge grin was splitting his face in half.

Emilia's expression matched her son's. "Do the two of you realize what an honor this is? An apprenticeship with Alastair Cambridge will get you noticed all over Europe and the fact that he wants to take both of you on, is even more astonishing. Where is his head office located?"

Severus smiled at his aunt before looking down at the letter that was still gripped in his hands. His smile faltered slightly.

"What is it Sev?" His cousin asked looking over his shoulder. The potions master took a deep breath and dropped his arm, glancing at his favorite aunt and cousin.

"The main office and laboratory is in London, close to Hogsmeade," he said. Some of his excitement was fading. Whenever the word London, or anything to do with his past life came up, he thought of Lily, much to his chagrin.

Antonius and Emilia exchanged glances. "Why on earth would they place his main laboratory just outside of Hogsmeade?" Emilia asked, looking between the two young men.

"It's because it's out of the way. If Cambridge had his lab in a place where anyone could go, he would have people coming by to badger him to come up with potion solutions to their problems. He wants peace and quiet to come up with the best ideas, he needs to go to a place where no one would think to look for him," Antonius explained patiently.

"You will go, won't you Severus?" his aunt asked, looking at her nephew with extreme fondness. The former Slytherin sighed. "I want to very much, but its still difficult to get over the self-stigmatization that the word England comes with."

"But you won't be by yourself this time Sev," his cousin responded and threw an arm around his shoulders. "I'll be going with you and if you want I will contain my social life until you get on your feet and get used to it."

Severus snorted. Merlin knew that his cousin was quite the ladies' man. It was that stupid Italian accent of his. He could be cursing in Italian for all the females knew and yet they would still follow him home.

Of course having spent nearly two years in Italy himself, he was fluent in the language and only a born and bred Italian would be able to tell that he wasn't raised here.

The potions master jerked himself off the abstract mental path he was on and considered his cousin's words. Antonius was right. The past twenty one months he had spent here had done him wonders. He deserved all the recognition that an apprenticeship with Cambridge would give him. And to top it all off, his cousin would be going with him. He had no logical explanation why he shouldn't go and not even the red headed kind should prevent from doing this.

He turned to his aunt and cousin who were exchanging worried glances.

"You're right," he said. "I have no reason not to go. This is a fabulous opportunity and I will be damned if I pass it up because of some past insecurities. Antonius, you and I are going to London."

The Italian gave a loud whoop and pounded Severus on the back. Emilia hurried over and embraced both of them tightly. "I'm so proud of both of you," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "You two are on your way to being the greatest potions masters the world has ever seen!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves mother," Antonius said laughing. "We have to get to London and make a name for ourselves first. Speaking if which, that reminds me, where are we going to stay?"

Severus glanced down at the parchment and frowned. "It says that a flat has been provided for us in Diagon Alley. It's small but it should do. Apparently all the apprentices of Cambridge are given a flat because the ones he usually chooses come from out of the country. There's an address listed. We're expected to arrive and take up residence there by next week."

"Well now that that's taken care of, we need to celebrate, I am taking both of you to dinner tonight," Emilia said.

"Trying to get rid of us already mother?" Antonius teased, which promptly resulted in her smacking him upside the head.

Ω

That evening they dined in a Muggle restaurant situated right on one of Sicily's most beautiful beaches. Severus's late uncle Claudius had had a fondness for Muggle food simply because of a business transaction meeting that had to be changed last minute to a Muggle restaurant. Ever since then, every chance he had gotten, he had dined with Muggles.

From where they were sitting on the terrace outside, they had a marvelous view of the rays of the sun as they were sinking into the waves making the whole ocean sparkle and turning the sky a lovely lavender color.

The terrace itself, was made of black and white marble, dotted in places with ivory pillars from which were draped exotic plants and garlands of all different colors and shades. The ambience only contributed to the flavor of the fare.

Severus had to agree that the food was scrumptious. But the company was what had warmed his heart the most. He looked up from his plate of scallops and glanced at his family who were conversing over the calamari.

"I want to thank both of you," he said seriously when there was a lull in the conversation. Both of them looked up at him, startled.

"For what?" Antonius asked finally.

"For taking me in and putting up with me when I was such a wreck. I know I'm not the easiest person to live with. I honestly don't think I'd be where I am if it weren't for you two. Aunt Emilia, you've been the best mother figure I could ever ask for. So thank you, for believing in me and helping me to get past my limitations and excuses."

Emilia tutted and waved off his gratitude with a flick of her hand. "What kind of person would I be if I turned away my favorite nephew? For that is what you are you know," she said with a cheeky grin, causing Severus to smile in return.

Antonius chuckled and slapped his cousin on the back. "You never have to ask to come Sev, you know that."

"Now enough of the sentimental nonsense that everyone already knows," his aunt said cutting to the heart of the matter. "I want the both of you to write to me every day and tell me all that you are learning. After all, Alastair Cambridge is not giving out invitations to his apprentices every day. The two of you will be learning things that no one else will have the privilege of knowing and I expect you to make the most of this opportunity. Do I make myself clear?"

Severus and Antonius glanced at each other and attempted to hide their smiles behind their utensils. Emilia was a strict no nonsense woman and she fiercely protected her own. In some ways she reminded the dark haired young man of Minerva McGonagall.

A muscle jerked in his cheek as unbidden memories washed over him. She had been one of the few at Hogwarts, along with Madam Pince the librarian, who had treated him fairly. They had given him extra lessons and had let him have access to any of the library books that he wanted, even in the restricted section. . Every so often, he got a letter from them, wondering how he was doing. They were the only two he could say with affinity that he missed.

Well, there was one other, but he tried not to think about her. After all, that part of his life was over.

"Sev?" Antonius asked waving his spoon in front of his cousin's face. Severus blinked and pulled himself from his memories.

"Yes Tony?" he asked. His cousin gave him an odd look but recovered a few seconds later.

"I was about to ask you if you had anything specific that you wanted to learn from Cambridge?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "The way I gather it, anything that he could teach me would be of immeasurable value. So no, not really, because in my mind, everything he could impart would be relevant."

"A very good answer," Emilia said firmly as she turned to her meal and picked apart the lobster on her plate. Antonius huffed and returned to his crab legs. Severus grinned at both of them and went back to his meal. After a moment of silent chewing however, the Italian looked back at his cousin.

"Something just occurred to me. What about that mad man Voldemort?" At his words, Emilia bristled. They were purebloods and had nothing to fear from him, but their allegiance wasn't to him either.

"What about him?" Severus asked pointedly. Antonius's hands tapped his fork against the edge of his plate nervously.

"Well suppose we run into him, what do we do?" Severus barely suppressed an eye roll although the thought had occurred to him.

"The man isn't going to be out in broad daylight killing people. As long as we keep our heads low and stay out of his way, I don't see that there should be a problem."

At his words, his aunt relaxed. But when she returned to her meal, Antonius glanced at his cousin and could see that Severus was as worried about Voldemort as he was.

Ω

Later that evening, Severus was lounging by the fireplace in the large ornate sitting room, going over the notes for the particular potion that had earned him his bronze cauldron a few weeks ago when a sound drew his attention.

He looked up and saw that his aunt and cousin were sitting on the terrace overlooking the sea, sipping tea and talking. By this time, the son had sunk below the horizon completely and all that was left was the navy blue sky that was chock full of diamond like stars. The crashing of the waves could be heard and as always when someone was sitting beside a large body of water, their voices carried.

"Are you sure he'll be alright Antonius?" Emilia was asking. "Suppose the two of you go into London and he runs into Lily?"

At the mention of her name, Severus flinched. He had done his best to put the red head out of his mind for the past two years and for the most part he had been successful. But every so often, memories would wash over him and he would lose himself in reminiscing.

"Then we run into her," came his cousin's calm voice. "I know Sev, He's been with us for nearly two years and you've seen the changes in him, he's happy. He smiles and laughs. That isn't something that is likely to stop just because he may or may not see her. I know how much he loved Lily and still does to a certain degree. But in my humble opinion, she used him, and after she was finished, she ran back to James. Severus is my cousin and one of my best friends, I am going to look out for him. If we see her, I will be respectful and polite. But I'm not going to try and like her. Sev deserves better."

It warmed Severus to hear his cousin defending him like that. And while he might not agree with everything that was said, he knew that Antonius said it with the best of intentions. He knew he deserved better then to be used. And maybe it was time he told that to his aunt.

Slowly, Severus put the book aside, got up and began to walk slowly out the side door up behind his aunt who was sitting with her back to him in one of the white wicker deck chairs.  
"I'm just concerned about what might happen if he were to run into her, Antonius. I don't want all the good that happened during his time here to go up in smoke," Emilia was saying.  
"You needn't worry about that aunt," Severus said quietly causing his aunt to jump and his cousin to flinch. Both turned around and looked up at him sheepishly. He could tell that they hadn't expected him to hear that.  
Antonius turned and looked out at the ocean so he wouldn't have to face his cousin, but Severus could see that he was trying not to smile. So instead he focused on his aunt.  
Emilia set her tea down on the table next to her, got up and placed her hands on either side of her nephews face.  
"Severus Snape, you are like a son to me and I will always worry about you. Asking me to not be anxious about your wellbeing is like asking the tide to not come in."  
Antonius began to chuckle but the two ignored him. Severus allowed a small smile, borderline smirk to etch itself in his face.  
"I'm not asking you to not worry," he said calmly. "I know what I'm doing. Like I said over dinner, these past two years have been incredibly up-lifting. I know who I am now, I know what I'm capable of and I know what I deserve. It's time I started making my way in this world and if Lily Potter happens to be a bystander...well then so be it."  
That got the attention of his cousin. Antonius turned to look at him with an expression that was skepticism and surprise. Severus ignored him though and continued focusing on his aunt.  
"If this is about Tony and I being so far away, I promise that we will write you every day and if he doesn't I will be on his arse to do it." He said the last part smirking.  
"Hey!" His cousin yelled, sounding indignant. Emilia chuckled and patted her nephew's cheek.  
"I just want the two of you to take care of yourselves. You and Antonius are all I have left. I want you to make the most of your opportunities and be the best that you can be, but above all else, I want you to stay safe. Can you promise me that?"  
Severus smiled at her and nodded.

"Good," his aunt said. "On that note, I think I will retire to my room. It's getting late. I will see you both in the morning."  
Antonius got up and kissed his mother goodnight and Severus did the same. After she left, both young men sat down and looked out at the waves.  
"I think I need something stronger then tea," Antonius said grinning wolfishly at his cousin. He got up and hurried to the kitchen in search of the fire whiskey. Severus chuckled after him.  
Within a few minutes, Antonius had reappeared with a dark brown bottle and two of the crystal glasses from the kitchen. He proceeded to set them down and pour him and Severus a drink. The young men then clinked their glasses together in an unspoken toast to the future.  
Severus took a sip from the glass and savored the storing burning taste as it slid down his throat. The next few minutes were silent as both young men stared out at the waves crashing on the shoreline.  
"Did you mean what you said to mother Sev?" Antonius asked after a while. Severus swirled the alcohol in his glass before answering.  
"I did. If we run into Lily, then we run into Lily. I'm not going to run screaming like she's some kind of monster from my past. I'll take it in stride. After all I have a life now, a life that doesn't include her. I wish her all the best, but I learned long ago that you can't have everything, and life is going to hurt. The trick is to get back up."  
Antonius chuckled and Severus had to join in.  
"It seems the alcohol brings out the philosopher in you cousin, and this idea may just be the fire whiskey talking, but we need to find you a woman."  
Severus sputtered and choked on the sip he had just taken. The liquid burned even worse as it went down his throat. After about thirty seconds of coughing, he looked up to find his cousin laughing at him.  
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Severus finally managed to gasp out. Antonius continued laughing and placed his glass back on the table.  
"Why not? If you're over Lily like you say you are, then you won't mind me fixing you up with someone will you?" Severus stared at his cousin for a second not able to say anything, just blinking.  
"Have you lost your mind Tony? Remember all the dates you tried to set me up on in the past year or so? They were a disaster. No what I need to do right now is focus on work. I can think about finding a woman later."  
Antonius sighed, but thankfully didn't push the issue for which Severus was grateful. It's not like he didn't want to meet someone, but Antonius wasn't exactly the master of subtlety. If Severus wanted to date someone, he wanted to be the one to set himself up and he wanted it to be on his own terms.  
"Do you think we'll have a problem with this Voldemort character?" Antonius asked. This time much more quietly so Severus was able to grasp that his cousin was much more serious. Severus paused as he thought of a response.  
"Like I told Aunt Emilia, I really don't think so. He doesn't know who you are, we've never spoken to him."

Something about his tone caused Antonius's eyes to narrow. "I know I've never spoken to him, but he originated in England, in the same house in school that you grew up in Sev. It's more likely that you would know more about him than I would. Are you telling me everything?"

Severus bit his lip and sighed. "I was the most talented potions brewer in my year, and one of the things that he prizes most highly is talent and power among his followers. So I was…..watched carefully by them."

"Sev, what does that mean?" Antonius said looking worried.

"It means they sent one of their followers, Lucius Malfoy to ask me to join them." He held up his hand at his cousin's horrified expression. "Don't worry I never did, but he was aware of me all the same."

"So does that mean that you won't be safe if we go back to England?"

"It shouldn't. I've lain low for the last eighteen months, odds are he's found someone else to brew his potions for him and has forgotten I even exist."  
Antonius nodded, but he still looked worried. "I suppose but there are such things as what he calls blood traitors. Suppose he considers us some of them?"  
Severus sighed and took another sip of his fire whiskey. "You worry like your mother Tony. He has no idea we'll be there, therefore his ignorance works in our favor. Like I said before, as long as we keep our heads low and do nothing but work, we will escape his notice, I am sure of it."  
"You're right," Antonius conceded. Then he perked up. "I suddenly remembered something. Earlier today I received a call from one of Father's old business partners. He needs my help with something for the next few days. I won't be able to get to Diagon Alley until next week."  
"That's alright," Severus responded, "I wanted to have a look at the flat anyway and if it needs some fixing up then I can do that before you get there. I was planning to go tomorrow."  
"So soon?" Antonius asked frowning. Severus nodded. "I want to acclimate myself to magical Britain again. It's not as laid back there as it is here."  
"Very well," Antonius said uncertainly as the two young men looked back the sea. "What time will you leave?"

Ω

Severus paused before stepping out from the shadow of the building into the light of Diagon Alley. He didn't know why he was suddenly nervous. A few hours ago he had said goodbye to his aunt and cousin, telling Antonius that he would see him the following week and that he would write to his aunt every day.  
Perhaps because he hadn't been here in a while. He wasn't sure if he would be recognized because his cousin had told him that he looked vastly different from the pale sickly depressed figure that had shown up on their doorstep two years earlier. He would just have to trust that Antonius was right.  
Taking a deep breath, Severus pulled the dark blue hood from his head, stepped out of the shadow of the Leaky Cauldron and strode confidently down the street of Diagon Alley.  
Everything seemed to go well at first. But as he walked, Severus gradually began to be aware of the glances that he was receiving. At first they confused him, but then he tried to put himself into his cousin's head and realized what was happening.  
Severus Snape had never been an ugly man, but he hadn't been what other witches would call decidedly attractive either. He had just been one of those wizards that was sort of plain.  
Well not anymore.  
It wasn't just the environment of Italy that had improved his emotions and mentality. His physicality was now drawing attention as well.  
Severus was two inches taller and had filled out and muscled up. He was no longer the plain narrow boy he had been in school. While not possessing a ridiculous amount of muscle like that oaf Sirius Black, he was lean and well proportioned. His skin was decidedly tanner from the Italian sun, and there was the sprinkling of stubble on his cheeks. His cheek bones were still high showing the aristocratic features from his father's family, but his face was slightly rounder as well. There were small but still noticeable smile lines around his eyes, and the dark orbs which had once been dull and full of sorrow were now sparkling with amusement and confidence. His black hair which had grown longer and now brushed his collar was still maintained but slightly unruly giving him a tousled but still charming look. As far as he was concerned, it had been damn time for some home improvements.

Tony told him that if he wanted to become better than who he had been before, than he needed to not only change on the inside, but the outside as well.  
To put it in a simpler way, Severus Snape had become a very good looking man. And people were taking notice.  
As he walked down the streets of Diagon Alley, whispers could be heard from the sidewalk and the open doors of the stores.  
"Who is that?" He heard one witch ask.  
"I don't know, but he's certainly making an impression on me," another whispered. Severus had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling nervously.  
"He must be from somewhere southern, and he's obviously a pure blood, just look at the way he carries himself."  
"I wish I knew what his name was."  
The process of being noticed in this way was new to Severus, and while it made him a little uncomfortable, he was somewhat glad that his physical changes reflected on how he felt about himself on the inside. He liked to think that it was his confidence that was drawing attention. He felt better about himself and by extension, his body followed.  
What didn't escape his attention however, was the fact that it was a little too quiet. Aside from the witches who were whispering about him, not a sound could be heard. Diagon Alley had once been a bustling place, but now it looked like a ghost town. The shops were still open but the doors were shut up tight.  
What the hell is going on here? Severus wondered. It was then that he remembered that wizarding Britain was at war with itself and a smattering of goose bumps rose on his arms.  
He quickly turned the corner and was about to hurry up the steps to Gringotts to make a withdrawal on his account when something peculiar happened. His aunt Emilia had set up an account for him when he had become adopted by the Andronicus family. So the name Snape was only used in informal conversations. For all intents and purposes he was now Severus Andronicus.  
He had no sooner taken a few steps up the stairs to the bank, when a brown blur raised down the steps and crashed into him. It would've nearly knocked it him over if he hadn't reached out and grabbed the marble banister.  
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry."  
At the sound of a woman's voice, he glanced down. The brown blur that had nearly knocked him over was a short little thing, almost a head below him. It was a woman dressed in dark robes, obviously so she wouldn't attract attention. She had dark brown hair that fell to her mid back. But it was her eyes that caught his attention as she gazed up at him. Eyes that were full of embarrassment and shame, but then widened in complete astonishment. He was sure his own did as well.  
Despite the glamour charms, he would know Lily Evans anywhere.  
Her big green eyes stared up at him in surprise and dare he think it, a bit of happiness?  
"Sev," her voice said in a hushed whisper. It was full of wonder and surprise. He looked down at her. While his heart hadn't jumped into his throat the way it had always done previously whenever she was near, it was pounding. Although he was pretty sure that that had more to do with shock than anything else.  
"Lily," he said in response. Antonius would have been proud that he was able to keep his tone neutral. She looked up at him and her gaze turned appreciative.  
"How...how are you?" She asked tentatively, almost shyly. Severus wondered what she was playing at, but he decided that it wouldn't hurt him to be polite. After all just because she wasn't a part of his life anymore wouldn't excuse rudeness.  
"I'm doing very well actually," he replied calmly. "I've spent the past year with family in Italy."  
He purposefully kept the details vague for the safety of his cousin and aunt. A war was going on and it wouldn't do for any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant to fall into the wrong hands.  
"That's wonderful," Lily said softly. "You...you look really good by the way."  
If it had been someone else, Severus probably would've smiled. But it was Lily so he didn't. And with good reason. He was proud of the person he had become and very proud of his accomplishments. Merlin knew he deserved all of it. But this was the woman who had broken his heart, so he didn't.  
"So what brings you back to England?" Lily asked and Severus jerked himself from his memories.  
"My cousin and I have been offered an apprenticeship under Alastair Cambridge. We start next week," he replied. It was hard to hide the small smile that touched his lips, but there was no hiding the enormous grin that pulled Lily's mouth apart.  
Completely unexpectedly, she threw her arms around his neck, which of course caused him to stiffen up considerably.  
"Oh Sev, that's incredible! I'm so proud of you!" She gushed. For a brief moment, he returned her embrace. She felt familiar and perfect in his arms. But after a second, he had to remind himself that he shouldn't be doing this and neither should Lily.  
So he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back. Her green eyes met his dark ones with confusion and a hint of sadness. He took a deep breath. He could continue on the conversation for a few more minutes for the sake of politeness, but he needed to be moving along.  
"How have you been?" He asked coolly. Lily looked up at him in confusion obviously noticing that something about him was different.  
"I'm...I'm alright. It's been difficult since Voldemort came to power. But James and I are managing. We've had to go into hiding, because he's targeting our family."  
As soon as she said the words, Lily visibly winced as if she had revealed far too much.  
Severus had been doing so well, and at the mention of her family, he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. It's easier to get over someone when all they've done is marry someone else and you've had two years to get used to that fact. But to find out that that person has achieved a level of happiness with their spouse that has enabled them to have children? Well it was another bitter pill for Severus to swallow. It also explained why she was wearing a glamour charm.  
He was quite relieved that he was able to keep his expression neutral because Lily was watching his face carefully.  
"Congratulations," he replied.

Lily nodded, biting her lip. "The dark Lord has targeted them so we've had to hide them away." Severus raised an eyebrow, his surprise wearing off.  
"Them?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could manage. Lily nodded staring down at her feet.  
"Twins, a boy and a girl. Their names are Harry and Isabelle." Severus sucked on his teeth to keep expression normal.  
"Well, life is just full of surprises now isn't it?" He asked both to himself and to Lily.

It was then that he realized where they were standing in the middle of a public place, and for their own safety they needed to separate.  
"Well I should be on my way. I need to see one of the goblins about my account. It was nice seeing you again Lily. You should return to your...family. You need to keep them safe."  
With those words, he started to move past her. He was stopped though when she reached out and grasped his arm.  
"Will...will I see you again Sev?" She asked.

He looked down into her eyes and berated himself for feeling the familiar tug in his heart. But his will had grown too strong to listen to that part of himself anymore. Severus couldn't afford to go back to being the person he had been with Lily Evans. She had been his drug and now he was finally clean. He couldn't go back there again. He carefully removed her hand from his arm.  
"I don't think so Lily. You have a family that needs you. Your duty is to them. Goodbye."  
And with that, he walked away as fast as he could, almost running up the stairs of Gringotts and into the bank without a backward glance. His robes were billowing out behind him like he was trying to take flight, but he paid them no notice.  
If he had glanced behind him though, he would have noticed Lily staring after him, her big green eyes filling up with tears.  
_It's not just my family,_ she thought as tears poured down her cheeks, watching the place where he had been before she turned away to disapparate.  
_It's yours too._

Ω


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

With a crack, Lily Potter reappeared in Godric's Hollow. The house was quiet, James still must have been sleeping. As soon as the twins were down for their afternoon nap, her husband had announced that he was in need of some much needed rest as well, and proceeded to follow them to slumber.  
That was why Lily had chosen this time to run to the bank and check on the will she had drawn up. In it she detailed just who she wanted the twins left with in the case of her and James's untimely demise. James seemed convinced that they would make it to the end of the war without having a run in with Voldemort, although now she wasn't sure. Precautions needed to be taken and she would be damned if her children ended up the pawns of Albus Dumbledore!  
As she walked quickly toward the small cottage, she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. It wouldn't do if James saw her crying. He wouldn't understand that she had had a run in with the father of the twins and he had had as good as rejected her. It made her wonder whether or not he would reject them.  
_No,_ she thought as she opened the door and slipped inside. _I can deal with him rejecting me, but he won't reject his children. I know Severus he won't do that. Once he sees how beautiful they are, that they have his hair and that Harry's already making facial expressions that remind me of him...no he won't turn them away.  
_ She had been this close to telling him. But if she had been in his position, she wasn't sure he would believe her. She wouldn't have.  
Lily hadn't been able to get over how good he had looked. Italy had done wonders for him. Severus had never been a particularly handsome man always been more obsessed with what came out of his cauldrons but now...now he would be impossible to miss. He was certainly better looking than James now. His naturally oily hair had turned glossy and curly, brushing his collar. His perfect white teeth were excellently framed by his tan skin and his eyes that she had once compared to hollow black tunnels now shone and were so deep that she could get lost in them. The robes he had left open revealing a white shirt and dark slacks. The shirt clung to him like a second skin and highlighted every muscle he had which had been quite a few. His voice had deepened considerably and reminded her of melting chocolate. It was the kind of low alto that she could fall asleep listening to. He was…..well he was a hunk.

Thinking such things made her cheeks heat with shame. She had to stop thinking like that. She had made her choice, no matter how bad it had been. She had to live with it.  
But she missed him.  
Lily Potter didn't want to admit it, but seeing Severus today had rattled her, especially because he had changed so much. She hadn't seen him since that disastrous night six weeks before her wedding. She had tried to put it out of her mind, but there were some things she just couldn't forget.  
As she walked into the sitting room, she noticed that James was asleep on the couch next to the fireplace, but she barely paid him any mind.  
Lily hung up her hood on the hook by the fire and hurried upstairs to check on the twins.  
She took the stairs two at a time and dashed around the corner down the hall to three room at the end. She slowed her pace as soon as she entered the nursery.  
Tiptoeing over to the crib, Lily looked down at all she had left of Severus Snape. It was amazing how much they looked like him if you knew what to look for. All James saw what the dark hair automatically said they looked exactly like him. She sighed, sometimes his ignorance was a blessing, he hadn't been able to tell the difference when she could see it so clearly.  
Surprisingly, both Harry and Isabelle were awake. At eight months they were rolling around and were able to sit up on their own. Harry was already beginning to take assisted steps on his own. Isabelle though was still struggling to stand.  
However when this happened, Harry would slowly make his way towards her, always holding on to something, and when he reached her, he would grab hold of one of her tiny hands and not let go until she was steady.  
This had happened a few days ago when James wasn't around. Harry had toddled over to Isabelle, taken one of her tiny hands in his own and the two of them walked a few steps before Isabelle lost her balance and sat down hard. Immediately she had begun to cry, but before Lily got up to go and comfort her daughter, Harry had sat down and patted her cheek and immediately his sisters' tears had subsided.  
Lily had had to choke back a sob as she watched this little exchange. It was so like their father. He had done the same thing when she and him and been children. Whenever she was discouraged about something, he had been there to encourage her. Not for the first time, she wondered if she had made a mistake letting him walk out of her life. He would have been an amazing father.  
Isabelle giggled up at her mother, and lifted her arms to be picked up. Lily felt her eyes blur with tears as she reached down for her daughter. Harry obviously didn't like being left out because he let out an outraged squeal. Lily uttered a choked laugh and retrieved him too.  
Holding the twins in her arms thusly, she walked over to the large window seat that occupied the nursery. Sitting down she looked at her son and daughter, her greatest pride and joy. The two things in this world that were the best things she had every done.  
"I want to tell you a story," she whispered. Their little faces looked up at her, and Lily had to will herself to not get distracted by their beautiful eyes. They were like shiny emeralds and the exact same color as the evergreen stone.  
"I want to tell you about your father. You aren't going to meet him now, I don't know when you will, but someday soon hopefully. Harry already everything you do is like him, I'm constantly amazed. Your father's name is Severus Snape. He is a kind, intelligent and compassionate man. He was my best friend when we were children. He was my biggest supporter. He would've loved you. And then I did something awful, I broke his heart. I broke his heart and married someone else. Sometimes I wish I hadn't done it. I love James, but it's just not the same as it was with your father. With him there were never any judgment, no guilt and no shame. He loved me unconditionally. And my biggest regret is that I gave it all up."  
Lily didn't realize that the tears were pouring down her face until a tiny hand reached up and pressed against her cheek. She gasped and looked down into the eyes of her son who seemed to understand.  
"I gave it all up for the fantasy man who would never exist Isabelle," she said looking at her daughter now. "I say this next part for you. When you are grown, do not choose that man, you think that they will be able to offer you happiness, but all you are in for is a lifetime of disappointment. Your father had everything, looks, talent, personality and bravery. If I don't make it out of this war, you are going to live with him. I don't care what James says. You will meet him someday. I promise."  
She stopped there because she knew if she kept on talking about Severus she would turn into an even bigger mess then she already was.  
But that didn't mean that her mind stopped planning. Harry and Isabelle would meet their father, she didn't care what it took.

Ω

An hour after his encounter with Lily, Severus was still rattled. His visit to Gringotts and then the flat that he and Antonius would be staying in had all passed in a blur.  
Now he was sitting on the couch in the living room that was adjacent from the kitchen, elbows resting in his knees, hands folded, trying to make sense of it all.  
Not that he had noticed it, but the flat was very nice. There were two bedrooms each painted a light blue. The beds were large enough and were already made, no doubt by a house elf. The kitchen was what you might expect. A sink and table and chairs as well as a refrigerator. The windows offered a perfect view of Diagon Alley, but Severus hardly noticed.  
As soon as he had opened the door, he walked over to the sofa and had sunk down onto it. He had been sitting there for the past fifteen minutes, contemplating what the hell had just happened.  
He had seen Lily for the first time in nearly two years. Even with the glamour charms she was still as beautiful as ever. Eyes as big and green as emeralds, figure small and petite but willowy. Her face still shone with intelligence and wit. But there was something else too. Her face was tired and the bags under eyes were examples of it. There were a few wrinkles in her otherwise flawless skin and Severus could tell that the events of the war had been taxing on her.  
Twins...sweet Merlin he had just been getting over the pain and then it came back in double the amounts. He bet they looked just like Potter. His face almost turned up in a sneer when he thought about it, but he had to stop himself.  
He wasn't that man anymore, he had vowed to get on with his life and not waste it pining after a woman who would never be his. Lily Evans was a painful part of his past, but still the past none the less.  
With that in mind, he got up and placed his trunk in his room. He hoped Antonius would arrive soon. He would mention the encounter to his cousin and then they would never speak of it again.  
The Italian was right, it was about damn time he moved on.

Ω

Alastair Cambridge reminded Severus very much of Albus Dumbledore. Except he was far more precise, and far less grandfatherly then his former Headmaster. He was a perfectionist and therefore demanded the same from all of his understudies.  
As intimidating as the man was however, both Severus and Antonius agreed that the facilities where they would be working were nothing short of impressive.  
The Cambridge Institute as it was called was housed in a dilapidated building just outside of Hogsmeade. Severus and his cousin had wandered for nearly an hour in the woods before they had found it.  
Even then Antonius had asked twice if this was the right place. But when the two young men had walked up and knocked on the door, it had sunk into the floor and revealed a pristine waiting room. Once they had walked in, the door had closed up behind them and they were left there waiting.  
They paced for about five minutes before a door in the side of the room on their right opened up in much the same manner as the front door. Out of it came an old man whose beard reached his waist and was tucked into his large leather belt buckle. His face must have born a thousand wrinkles, but his eyes were bright and all but shone with intelligence. He was dressed in dark robes that brushed the floor.  
But despite his impressive age, the man had an air of youthfulness about him that hinted he was as spry as a twenty year old.  
Severus was instantly impressed an intimidated.  
"Severus Tobias Snape and Antonius Claudius Andronicus, I presume," the old man asked in a low gravelly voice that sounded like a thousand scrolls of parchment being unfurled. They both nodded.  
"Very good, follow me," was all he said before the door opened behind him again and he stepped back through it. Exchanging a glance the cousins followed him.  
When they stepped through the door, Severus found himself in a completely different world. And it was all so white.  
They were standing at the top of what was a cliff before an underground ravine into which a waterfall flowed. At the bottom of the ravine was what looked like three enormous bubbles. Severus later learned that they were domes and in fact laboratories. Their dome like shape was what fit the ravine the best, also because it was the strongest structure if something were to fall against it.  
The whole area was awash in whites' greys blacks browns and blues. They could hear the roar of the waterfall from this distance and the air was fresh and pungent with the smell of earth.  
Severus had a feeling he was going to like this place.  
"How are we to get down there?" Antonius asked. Severus frowned, his cousin had a point, he didn't see any stairs and he had seen the anti-apparition wards that had been set up outside, so that wasn't an option.  
"Follow me," Alastair said in response to the Italian's question. The two cousins exchanged glances before walking behind him.  
To the left of the platform it appeared as if a wall had been built which prevented any forward motion. However, built into this wall were three large holes about the size of a regular person.  
"Step forward," Alastair said gravelly. An uneasy look passed between the two young men but after a moment Antonius stepped forward and stood carefully in the mouth of the center hole opening.  
There was a horrible sucking sound and in the next second Antonius had disappeared. Severus blinked and rubbed his eyes. It had been so instant he had barely caught it.  
"Where...where did he go?" The young man stammered. A low chuckle came from deep in Cambridge's throat. "Why he's gone to the laboratory of course. Well don't stand there gawping lad, come on your next."  
Tentatively Severus stepped forward and stood exactly where his cousin had a second earlier. _Why do I feel like I'm about to be flushed down an enormous toilet?_ He thought absently.  
Just then the sucking sound came again and the next thing he knew Severus was flying. He was flying face first down a tunnel at least eighty kilometers an hour. All he could see was a blur of white and the next thing he knew he was flung out and launched into the air.  
He cried out, he wasn't afraid to admit it. _I'm about to die in a laboratory, well at least it's doing something that I love, _he thought absently.  
"Bend your knees Sev!" He heard his cousin call out from somewhere below him.  
"How the hell will that help?" He yelled back as he began to descend.  
"It'll lessen the impact!"  
_Very comforting,_ Severus thought as he began to plummet toward the earth. But somehow he managed to retain his rationality and bent his legs. Almost instantly after he felt something rubber beneath his feet and the next sensation was him sprawling forward in a very undignified fashion. Before he hit the ground however, he felt something seize him by the arm and haul him to hit feet.  
Antonius burst out laughing as he gripped his cousin by the shoulders and steadied him.  
"You looked like a flying squirrel!" He said, scrunching up his face in what was a thoroughly unflattering representation of his cousin. Severus snorted before turning back around.  
"What the hell was that?" He asked as he turned to face where he had come from. He saw with surprise that about fifty feet above him was the tube he had shot out of. He saw that his trajectory would have been poised to aim right at the rubber floor where he had landed and bounced him right out next to his cousin.  
"That was by far the most bizarre traveling experience that I have ever had," Severus mused. "Why the hell would Cambridge prefer that than simply apparating to the lab?"  
"Because Mr. Snape, there are anti apparition wards set up inside the labs to prevent criminals and thieves from stealing valuable and expensive materials such as Basilisk Venom. This manual system prevents those that would steal it," said Cambridge suddenly appearing beside them, causing both young men to jump.  
As if he hadn't even noticed their discomfort, the white haired wizard beckoned to them to follow how, then tucked his hands behind his back and walked carefully over to the nearest laboratory.  
Exchanging bewildered glances, the two cousins followed him.

Ω

Over the course of the next few days, Lily spent more time with the twins then she did with James. He had begun to act a bit like a caged animal. The only time he was calm was when he was around Harry and Isabelle.  
While she was glad of that, it made the situation between them even tenser. Besides Albus Dumbledore, they had received few visitors. Lily had no idea how he managed to get onto the property with there were anti apparition and anti floo wards around the property. But as James never failed to remind her, this was _Albus Dumbledore_ they were talking about. Leader of the Light, Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump.

She still didn't know what in the hell a Mugwump was, let alone what his duties as a Supreme one were.  
It was all a load of Hippogriff dung as far as she was concerned and she had been reluctant to let him anywhere near the twins. When they had brought them to him a few weeks after their birth, the look in Dumbledore's eyes was kind of scary. The twinkle had vanished, and gleeful gleam had appeared. It was as if he had an idea of how to bring back power to himself and that the twins were the pawns he would use to do it.  
Immediately after he had left, Lily pulled the twins close to her. She hadn't let them out of her sight for the rest of the day. There was no way that pompous old fool was going to lay a hand on her children. His nonsense about the greater good was a load of codswallop as far as she was concerned and she wasn't going to let him get his hands on her son and daughter.  
He had visited a few days ago and still James was still going on about it. She knew he had looked up to the old wizard when they were in school but this was just getting ridiculous.  
"Alright James, that's enough," she said when her husband mentioned Grindelwald's defeat at Dumbledore's hands for the millionth time.  
The former Gryffindor looked up at her in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Lily rolled her eyes.  
"If you fawn over the man anymore, I'm going to start question your decision to marry me. Perhaps you should've bonded yourself to him."  
James flushed. "What are you talking about?"  
"Your hero worship is only surpassed by the amount of ignorance that you possess towards it," she muttered. James folded his arms across his chest a prominent scowl etching its way across his features. "And what does that mean?"  
Lily was beginning to understand why the Slytherins made fun of the Gryffindors for being such dunderheads.  
"Oh wake up and smell the pumpkin juice, James! The man is not as great as you're making him out to be."  
He had the audacity to appear completely scandalized. "What are you talking about Lily, this is Albus Dumbledore-"  
"Bloody hell!" Lily screeched finally having reached the end of her patience. "I don't give a damn what the man's name is, and if you say it one more time, so help me Merlin, I will hex you into next week!"

"Lily, what the hell has gotten into you?" James asked incredulously. His wife's face was as red as her hair, and she was gripping her wand for all she was worth. Her nerves had been on edge for days and the visit of the Headmaster hadn't done anything to help it. The way he looked at the twins, as if they were his ticket back to power made her want to yank out his beard.

She took a deep breath, letting it out in one gusty exhalation.

"Nothing. I…..I'm sorry. I think being cooped up here is starting to get to me. I just don't trust him James and I doubt I ever will."

"You don't trust Albus?" James asked looking completely flabbergasted as husband and wife stood across from each other in the kitchen, wills locked in combat.

"How could you not trust him Lily, he's trying to keep us safe for crying out loud!"

Lily rolled her eyes. Sometimes her husband's idiocy surprised even her.

"Wasn't it under his influence that we hid away, when I begged to leave the country instead and live as Muggles? Wasn't it him who convinced us to change our secret keeper from Sirius to Peter, even though I've never trusted him in all seven years of our time at Hogwarts? Wasn't it him who told us about that ridiculous prophecy that Trelawney issued even though he was incredibly vague about it? No James, I don't trust Albus Dumbledore as far as I can throw him." She ignored her husband's confusion at the Muggle phrase.

"But that's ridiculous!" James sputtered, "If we can't trust Albus, then who can we trust?"

But Lily had turned to walk out of the kitchen, having heard enough of his voice for a while and trying escape her own guilt.

She looked back at him one more time before departing.

"Ourselves."

And then she stalked from the kitchen.

These days the only things that could calm her down were Harry and Isabelle. They were growing in leaps and bounds, it was coming up on ten months since they had been born. They would be almost a year old soon. The extent of their magic was beginning to astound her.

The previous day, Harry must have wanted to get out of the crib because when crying didn't work, he had pulled on the bars of the crib and all of a sudden they had vanished completely.

Both parents had seen this happen as they walked into the room and were just in time to stop young Harry from falling out of the crib and hurting himself.

The day before that, Isabelle had seen a pretty flower growing outside in the meadow of Godric's Hollow and from her facial expressions and little hands waving toward the plant, it was obvious that she wanted it. When Lily told her no however, she didn't cry. Instead she got this very determined look on her face and looked toward the blossom.

In the next second, her little Belle was holding it in her hands. Lily had gasped, but Belle, seeming delighted with what she had done, looked up as her mother and laughed in that innocent babyish way of hers.

James was ecstatic at the amounts of magic the twins were displaying and they weren't even a year old yet.

_"__Do you realize what this means Lil? It means that they might just be the most powerful brother and sister duo in the past five hundred years! There's a reason twins haven't been born to a magical family in centuries and maybe this is why! They're not even a year old yet and already they're displaying magic based on solely what they want!_

_Think of it! Harry wanted to get out of the crib and he did. Belle wanted a flower and she got it, from all the way outside no less! The possibilities are amazing. They're going to be the most gifted children in a thousand years! _

Lily wasn't as nearly thrilled as James was. Seeing that her children were already displaying magic was frightening. What would fate have in store for them in the coming war? And worse yet would any of them come out of it alive?

Voldemort was ruthless. His attacks on Muggleborns and Muggles were getting more and more frequent and the entire wizarding community was running scared. The dark mark was appearing almost every day and Lily had stopped reading the _Daily Prophet _altogether because she couldn't handle any more bad news.

When the prophecy had first been issued, she had begged her husband to leave the country. But James, being the bullheaded Gryffindor that he was, had been so convinced that the war would be over soon enough and that things would be back to normal very quickly. He hadn't wanted to leave their friends and was so trusting of Albus Dumbledore that it made her feel ill if she so much as heard the man's name.

_These are my children he is talking about!_ She fumed as she hurried up the stairs to the nursery. _If it was just me and him I would consider staying and yet he has the nerve to question whether or not I am a Gryffindor just because I am not as bullheaded and stupid as him!_

She fervently hoped that if they were to ever get out of this, that her children were sorted into either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Anything at this point but Gryffindor.

As Lily Potter entered the nursery, she saw that a blanket had been laid on the floor by the window and her children were sitting on it playing with various toys.

There they sat, waving their arms about, grasping their toys and talking in their own baby voices. Lily felt her eyes blur as she sat down next to them.

Why couldn't life be as simplistic as this? Two infants simply playing with each other. There was no power struggle, no strife about blood, no social hierarchy of purebloods and Muggleborns. It was utterly simplistic and in even that fact, it was profound.

She was sure that every parent thought this way about their children, but Harry and Isabelle were by far the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Their dark hair was already thick and beginning to curl just like their father's. Their emerald green eyes were bright with intelligence and talent that was only beginning to be tapped.

A talent like theirs needed to be nurtured and cared for, not used and abused like James would have let Albus do.

She involuntarily hissed through her teeth as she thought of all the horrible possibilities.

Her twins would _not_ be the weapons of Albus Dumbledore, used to entrap a Dark Lord, over her dead body. She scoffed. Leader of the Light. Ha!

He was nothing more than a contemptible crotchety manipulative old fool! But he wasn't stupid. Naïve of course, but certainly not stupid.

He wouldn't hurt them, not directly at first, but he would use them. She had seen his treatment of Severus and was ashamed of her un-Gryffindor like nature when she had done nothing. Severus had deserved better than that. Sure he had called her a despicable name in a fit of rage, but he had been provoked. In fact it had been James and that horrible Sirius who saw it fit to torment her best friend at every turn.

And she had done nothing. She had simply stood by and watched as the father of her beautiful Harry and Isabelle was treated with contempt and scorn. It was a wonder he had turned out as well as he did. He had risen above what others thought of him to make something of himself as a potions master extraordinaire. She was so proud of him.

The only thing that would have made her joy complete was him getting to see his children. She paused to wipe the tears from her eyes as she watched Harry and Belle play.

It was then that she decided that he needed to know. If she didn't survive this war like she had an inkling that she might not, Severus needed to know that he was a father.

But how? How was she to do it?

He had told her in basically every way that they would never see each other again. She didn't think that he would believe her if she simply told him face to face.

She would write to him, detailing all that he would need to know if something were to happen to her. She didn't want them raised by James. He would rear the twins like the Marauders and give Dumbledore the free reign to use them as tools in whatever way he wanted.

The thought made her hair stand on end. She would not see her babies raised as cruel people like Sirius. She wanted them to grow up away from blood prejudice, where they could fully understand just how foolish such things were and how these concepts started wars.

Severus would be the only one who was able to do that. He would raise them well. Already, she had an inkling that she wouldn't live to see the end of the war. Voldemort was simply too strong and there was no way that the twins would survive against him if he met them like this.

So with this in mind, Lily Potter sat down at her writing desk, quill in hand to pen a letter to the father of Harry and Isabelle

It was time he knew.

Ω

Over the course of the next few weeks, the training of the Andronicus cousins progressed rapidly. Cambridge was indeed a man of great eccentricities, but he also possessed a brilliant mind and both young men soaked up his knowledge like sponges.

Severus and Antonius would leave work every day and return to their flat too exhausted and mentally drained to talk. They would give each other weak smiles before falling into their separate beds, spent, only to awaken the following morning to race to the lab and do it all over again.

During this time, Severus thought much about Lily. He had vowed to never see her again, but she was constantly on his mind. She had seemed so tired since he had seen her last. The war was taxing on everyone, but on her most especially it seemed.

Antonius and he had spoken little of the encounter since his cousin had arrived. All the Italian had done was mutter something about how in order to forget about Lily, Severus needed to get laid.

Whenever he had done that, the former Slytherin had simply rolled his eyes at his cousin's bizarre attempts to reconnect him with "life." As soon as that happened he would remind Antonius that potions was his life which caused the Italian to scoff, but then the conversation would turn immediately to other things.

It was a Friday morning when things really began to get interesting.

Severus and Antonius had arrived at the laboratory and had resumed their work regarding the cure for lycanthropy. It was their current research project and all their findings had to be reported to Cambridge himself.

On this particular morning, the two were slaving away when Cambridge himself came into the lab and Antonius nearly spilled the vial of phoenix tears in surprise. They had only seen the potions master since they had started working there about a month ago. The man kept to his own lab and them to theirs.

Severus dove and managed to retrieve the vial before there was an accident, but he braced himself for the explosion that was sure to follow from their mentor.

So he was even more surprised when there wasn't one. He opened his eyes which had been squeezed shut and beheld Cambridge still standing there with his arms folded across his chest looking at him.

"Snape," he barked. "You are familiar with Hogwarts correct?"

All Severus could do was nod quickly. Cambridge gave a sharp nod of his head.

"Good, then I need you to come with me there. I have a special delivery to make to their current potions master Slughorn and I don't trust it to be delivered by anyone but myself. Unfortunately I do not know the castle, so I would need you to guide me to the dungeons so I may deliver it."

Without even waiting for a response, the man turned on his heel and strode out of the lab, calling out over his shoulder: "We leave in ten minutes, be ready."

As soon as he was gone, the two young men exchanged glances.

"Why on earth does he need to go to Hogwarts now?" Antonius demanded. They had been going back and forth on the issue of the war for weeks now.

It had started a few days after their subsequent hiring. Cambridge had told them that his laboratory was under a heavy glamour and invisibility charm. Only the people Cambridge chose would be able to see it. Those people were the ones that worked in his office, himself and his two current apprentices.

He had strongly cautioned that because the wizarding war was reaching its peak, they were to keep their heads low and not talk to anyone. Voldemort was bloody dangerous and was sure to use whatever means necessary to get to power. Potions would be something that he would look to if he was able to overthrow the Ministry.

Unfortunately for him, Cambridge had no intention of letting the snake use him for his own twisted purposes. He simply wanted to be left in peace.

Severus and Antonius were told that they were to speak to no one, go to work, go home and keep their heads low while they were doing and to act perfectly normal as if the war didn't even exist. He was an old man and he didn't intend to die because of some pompous puffed up blood prejudiced buffoon. At least those had been his words.

It had all served to heighten their respect for Cambridge. They had also discovered in the six weeks of being there that he was a powerful duelist and could probably hold his own against Dumbledore if he so chose.

Quickly, Severus stripped off his lab coat and donned his large grey overcoat while his cousin watched.

"I don't think that he has ever gone to make a delivery personally before," Antonius mused as he watched his cousin get ready to leave. "I wonder what it is."

Severus shrugged.

"Something that is obviously important enough that he cannot trust someone else with the delivery of it. We shouldn't be more than an hour."

Since the attacks of Voldemort had become more and more frequent, both young men were extremely wary of leaving the flat for anything but work.

They had been informed by Cambridge that their flat had been charmed to appear to the average witch or wizard as nothing more than an empty set of rooms above an abandoned store. The fact that it was in Knockturn Alley made them more inconspicuous. It had been done like this because sometimes the apprentices would have to take important materials home and added security measures were of the utmost importance.

True to form, Aunt Emilia had called through the floo network every single day and as always, one of them was around to answer it. She had been getting dire reports in Italy and each time she called, the boys would have to spend at least ten minutes calming her down before they could maintain a coherent conversation.

The apparent quarantine was starting to wear on Antonius however. Just the other day he was complaining to his cousin that he hadn't had a date since he landed in England nearly eight weeks ago.

_ "__I'm losing my edge Sev," he would say, hand clutching at his chest in complete over the top theatrics. "If I don't get a date soon, I may end up like Cambridge!"_

_To which Severus would reply mockingly: "What fabulously wealthy, incredibly intelligent and a huge success?"_

_ "__No, without a woman to warm my bed at night!"_

Leave it to his cousin to sound like a completely sex driven machine. Severus supposed it had something to do with the fact that he was an Italian. And for an Italian male to not have a date one day out of the week was sacrilegious. So whenever Antonius got into one of those moods, he would just roll his eyes and wait for it to pass.

"I'll be back in a little while," he called to his cousin as he tugged on his coat and hurried from the lab to meet Cambridge.

Once they were outside, the potions master pulled a large key with silver runes engraved into its face from his pocket. Severus almost asked what it was but the words died in his throat the minute the potions master held it out for him to grab.

"We are going to portkey just outside of the grounds. Hogwarts has wards set up against this kind of thing and the last thing that I want is to be blasted back to the lab," Cambridge grumbled. Severus just nodded before reaching out and grasping ahold of the key.

There was a frightful jerk and a horrid twisting and the next thing he knew the world was spinning incessantly.

After a few seconds however, they landed just outside the grounds of Hogwarts. From this distance, Severus could just make out Hagrid's cottage. There was smoke rising from the chimney and the afternoon sun betrayed just how late in the day it was getting.

Without pausing to see if his apprentice was following him, Cambridge strode purposefully towards the castle.

After waiting for a few seconds Severus hurried after him. It was all coming back now. The Black Lake where he and Lily had often sat and studied. Him usually potions, her usually transfiguration and charms.

There was the Forbidden Forest, still as wild and as tangled as ever, boasting the fact all the more strongly as to why it was forbidden. He had served countless detentions there, too many to even remember.

But as much as the place held immeasurable memories for him, almost all of them were bad. And almost all of the bad came in the forms of Sirius Black and James Potter.

How Lily had married that scumbag was beyond him. She had deserved so much better, yet she had settled for a man who had just slid by in school on his good looks and charm and in his opinion, would never amount to anything.

But then he had to put out a mental foot and trip that thought, because such memories were not healthy and would only serve as a means to hurt him in the long run.

Keeping this thought in mind, Severus took a deep breath and followed along behind his mentor into castle.

It was just as he remembered it. The halls were quiet because classes had ended and most students were in their dorms or out as Hogsmeade. Severus shivered as they stepped into the Great Hall. He knew it was October but it was getting very chilly out. Winter was fast approaching.

The two had no trouble finding the dungeons and soon enough Severus was showing Cambridge into the potions classroom.

But just as he was about to enter himself, a voice called out: "Severus? Is that really you?"

The young man turned around found himself smiling as one of the only good things about Hogwarts came hurrying towards him; Minerva McGonagall. His grin widened as she strode up to him.

"It is you!" she exclaimed before drawing him into a heartfelt embrace. Immediately Severus relaxed and all the bad memories of the castle fled. Professor McGonagall, despite their being from different houses was a constant support and comfort for Severus when he had walked these halls years earlier. She had given him private tutoring sessions and she and Madam Pince had let him stay in the library as long as he wanted so he wouldn't be harassed by Potter and Black. They had looked out for him and comforted him about his abysmal home life when Lily wasn't around to do so. They were his only good memories about this place.

Finally the stern grey haired witch pulled back and looked him over carefully. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline at what she beheld.

Severus Snape had changed so much that she almost didn't recognize him. He had grown into an intelligent young man, ruddy and handsome. She knew he had been doing very well in Italy with his cousin and aunt, but she didn't know he had been doing this well. The changes in him amazed her.

Gone was the shy insecure quiet boy who had always hurried through the halls with a potions textbook under his arm, not looking anyone in the eye. In his place was a tall confident smiling young man who walked with a sure gait and was even surer of himself. His eyes sparkled with warmth and softness when he looked at her and his smile flashed white against his perfectly tanned skin.

_Oh Lily, you were one of the brightest students that I ever taught, but how could you be so foolish as to let this one get away?_ Minerva thought as she looked over her talented former pupil.

"It's so good to see you again Severus," she said smiling at him. "My you've changed so much."

He returned her smile with a somewhat shy one of his own. Regardless of his accomplishments and many changes, Severus would always feel comfortable around one of his favorite teachers.

"I cannot believe you are an apprentice for Alastair Cambridge, I almost had a stroke when I got your letter. I always knew you would go far," she said, her pride clearly shining through in her voice.

Severus's smile widened. "It's not as glamourous as it sounds Minerva." The name felt odd on his tongue. He would have to get used to calling her by her first name.

"Cambridge demands excellence in everything that I and my cousin do and he doesn't tolerate mistakes," he said thinking back to the first few days and bristling at some of the things that had happened.

"Ah but you are able to rise to the occasion every time aren't you?" Minerva asked expectantly. Severus chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "I try," he responded. "It's quite difficult but I'm doing my best and learning a lot."

Minerva patted his cheek gently. "Well good, then that's all anyone can ask of you. How long have you been back? Have you seen anyone from school?"

What she was really asking was whether or not he had seen Lily. She had known all about his unrequited love for the red headed Gryffindor. And while she had been disappointed in Lily's choice of James, she would never shun her brightest student.

Severus nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't for very long. I left soon after." He quickly changed the subject before he could ask further questions.

"But how have you been? The war is taxing on everyone, I hear."

Minerva let out a soul deep sigh. "You don't know the half of it, I'm afraid." Taking his arm she led him a little further down the hall, away from the door of the potions classroom so they would not be overheard.

"I'm very thankful that you managed to escape all of this madness in Italy. I have been so afraid for all of my students because most of them joined the side of the Light. And they've all been targeted I'm afraid. Especially the Potters."

Severus stiffened up at the mention of Lily again, but he managed to keep his emotions in check in order to be curiously concerned.

"Why them specifically?" he asked frowning.

McGonagall looked both ways to make sure that no one was around like they were back in school and sharing some gossip in the corridors.

"A prophecy has been issued, regarding the twins of Lily and James Potter. You remember from History of Magic lessons that twins of different genders born to magic families are very rare and said to be very powerful. And fraternal twins have not been born to a magic family within centuries. Trelawney has stated that the Potter twins together will be a match for the Dark Lord, and that only they can overthrow him. He knows of the prophecy, and he's been targeting the twins for months."

At her words, Severus grew cold. That was what Lily meant when she said that she was being targeted. He assumed it was just due to her status as a Muggleborn, but never this.

"They are also said to be more powerful because it was recently discovered that Lily is an heir of Rowena Ravenclaw," McGonagall continued, nearly causing Severus to choke on his own breath.

"Lily's a pureblood?" he whispered in shocked tones. The transfiguration professor nodded solemnly.

"Even if the Dark Lord didn't exist, there would be people who try to use the Potter twins for their own twisted ends, seeing as how they are powerful magical twins and are descended from one of the founders."

Severus narrowed his eyes at her tone. He had a feeling she was about to ask him for something, and he wasn't sure that he wasn't sure he would like what it was.

"There's a point you are trying to make Minerva," he said carefully. "You know that I hate beating around the bush, just tell me what it is."

The aging deputy headmistress sighed. Severus looked back at the door of the potions classroom to ensure that Cambridge was still inside before turning back to face her.

"I do not agree with Albus's methods in dealing with this at all. He wants to draw out the dark lord using the twins as his instruments. He thinks by forcing the Dark Lord's hand, then we can deal with him more quickly, which is why I think he is using the twins as bait, and why I think he suggested that the Potter's secret keeper be changed from Sirius to Peter."

Severus sucked in air through his teeth. _He's a madman!_ He seethed.

While he may have hated James Potter with a passion, those children were still a part of Lily and he was not so petty that he would have wanted any ill to befall them.

"What do you want me to do Minerva?" he asked in a deadly calm voice. The professor sighed and wrung her hands.

"I know your….history with Lily is painful, but…I'm just asking if you can keep an eye on her."

Severus sighed. Would he never be able to get away from this? Much as he was worried for her wellbeing, he didn't want to be burdened with anymore emotions of Lily Potter.

"And just how am I to do that?" he asked. "I don't even know where they are. I don't think Potter would take it too kindly if I were to be seen prancing around their hiding place checking up on Lily."

"Oh Severus Snape would you listen for a moment? All I want you do is to be aware of the situation, if something were to happen, Merlin forbid, you would be around to call upon."

Severus sighed as he looked at his old professor. He wasn't happy about the situation, but he couldn't deny that it might be necessary.

"Very well," he said and the deputy head mistress gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Severus, now I believe that your mentor is ready to depart. I will be in touch." She kissed him on the cheek and swept around the corner and out of sight.

Severus turned to find Cambridge standing at the door of the Potions classroom an expectant look on his face. Then he turned and swept toward the Great Hall, with Severus trailing behind, mind heavy with what he had just learned.

Ω

Lily had always hated Halloween with a passion.

She knew Muggles held the evening in high regard as a night of mischief and fun, but to her strange thing had always happened on Halloween night. And tonight seemed to be no exception.

A chill wind was blowing and the night was even darker than usual. She looked out the window and shivered at the fact that there were no stars out. It was utterly black.

"What are you looking at?"

The red head jumped and whirled around, wand raised as she came face to face with her husband who had snuck up behind her in the nursery.

Upon seeing that she meant business he jumped back arms raised in defense.

"Whoa there, careful with that, what's gotten into you Lil?" She sighed and lowered her wand.

"Sorry, I'm feeling a little on edge. I've never liked Halloween and tonight just seems even more strange than usual."

"It's only because we're in hiding," James said rubbing her arms soothingly. "Don't worry, as soon as the night is over, you'll be able to relax somewhat."

Lily nodded but she still felt apprehensive. The letter to Severus was still tucked in the pocket of her robes, but she had charmed it so that if anyone but she or Severus were to touch it, that it would appear as if it were an ordinary to do list.

"Still," she said as she walked away from the window and stared down at the sleeping forms of Harry and Isabelle, "I don't think I'll leave the nursery tonight, I'm too nervous."

James nodded. "Well then I'll stay here with you."

He had no sooner said that when there was a thunderous crash from downstairs, followed by a loud hissing noise.

James's face went grey.

"He's here," he whispered and Lily felt her heart jump into her throat. The next few minutes were a flurry of action.

"Lily, take Harry and Belle and run, I'll try and hold him off. Go!"

With that James tore open the door and rushed downstairs.

For a millisecond, Lily was frozen, then she jumped into action and slammed the nursery door. Then she threw up a few wards that would slow someone down before surrounding the twins and herself in a powerful defensive shield she had been working on since her Hogwarts days. It wouldn't stop one of the Unforgivables but it would slow one down as if it were a poison long enough for her to do what she needed to do.

She whipped out her wand and cast her Patronus whispering to the silver doe before it darted out the window to the one person that she knew would come.

The father of the twins.

Ω

Severus had decided to stay in for the evening. He was sitting on the couch by the fire reading, enjoying the quiet as Antonius had somehow managed to find a date for Halloween, so the flat was empty.

Ever since his fateful meeting with Professor McGonagall a few weeks earlier, he had been turning what she had said over and over in his mind. He hadn't breathed a word of it to his cousin for reasons unknown, but it just seemed too personal to be shared.

But he had thought about it. Merlin, had he thought about it.

McGonagall was right, he hated it when she was right. Keeping an eye on Lily was going to try his patience on unprecedented levels, but he owed it to Minerva to at least try.

As this last thought went through his mind, suddenly a bright silver light filled the room and materialized in front of him.

It was a Patronus, a silver doe in fact, and at the sight of it, Severus stiffened up like a board. He would know that doe anywhere.

It opened its mouth and began to speak with the voice of Lily.

"Severus, he's come, he's here for the twins. Come quickly. There's something you need to know."

Then the Patronus turned and loped out of the room not even waiting to see if he would follow. Severus was frozen for a brief moment before he snatched his wand off the table and raced after the silver creature.

He was not going to have anything happen to Lily on his watch.

Ω

Lily's eyes were blurring with tears. She reached down and pulled her babies into a hug placing a kiss on each of their foreheads.

"Harry….Belle….I want you to remember that I love you, James loves you and that your father loves you. He's coming to take care of you. Don't be afraid and remember that whatever happens, you are so, so loved."

She had no sooner said the words when the door to the nursery was blasted open and she whirled to face the dark lord himself.

"Stand aside girl, you need not hurt yourself tonight," he whispered in his snake like voice.

Voldemort was a nightmare, the epitome of a dark wizard, with his pale skin, hairless head lack of nose aside from the two slits in the front of his face and his flashing red eyes. His robes billowed out behind completing the look of pure evil.

"No…no please. Not Harry and Belle, take me instead," Lily cried. She had to slow him down, had to buy some time until Severus got here. James was probably dead and she choked back a sob at the thought.

"Have it your way then," Voldemort hissed

"AVADA KADEVRA!"

A jet of green light hit Lily in the chest knocking her back against the crib. She barely heard Harry and Belle screaming.

Suddenly there was another bright light, a scream of fury from Lord Voldemort and then complete silence.

Lily could feel the killing curse moving slowly in her veins like a poison. The shield she had created would slow it down, but it would still kill her in the end.

She could still make out the forms of Harry and Belle in their crib. She smiled with relief, they were safe.

Now all she had to do was wait for Severus to get there. It wouldn't be long now.

Ω

As soon as Severus arrived in Godric's Hollow following the silver doe, he knew something was horribly wrong.

The door to the cottage had been blown off its hinges and as soon as he entered it looked like a tornado had gone through the place.

He dashed through the living room almost tripping over the form of James Potter. He looked down at the body of rival sadly. As much as he hated the man he didn't deserve a fate like this.

But he only thought of Potter for a second before he turned and dashed up the stairs looking around wildly for Lily.

"Lily?" he yelled as he raced down the hall, but there was no answer.

His panic mounting, Severus turned and entered the last door on the left. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw Lily Evans lying on her back, red hair splayed across the floor like liquid fire. Her eyes were half open.

Severus dropped his wand and fell to his knees beside her, half pulling her into his lap as he felt for a pulse. It was weak but it was there and he sighed in relief.

"Lily? Lily can you hear me? Listen if you can hear me, please answer me. The Aurors will be here soon, you have to hold on…."

At his words, he eyes suddenly fluttered and opened.

"Sev?" she murmured weakly.

"Yes, yes I'm here," he said quickly gripping her hand. She seemed to be trying to speak to him.

"I'm….I'm so sorry. For…for everything," she whispered so quietly, he could hardly hear her, and so he had to bend closer to her mouth.

"I know, its ok Lily I forgive you," he said in a broken whisper. None of it mattered as long as she survived.

"There's….there's something you need to know," she said. Weakly she began to fumble around in the front of her robes, finally meeting with success when she pulled out a folded piece of parchment and pressing it into his hands.

"Lily, Lily you have to stay calm and try not to move, the Aurors will be coming soon. You'll be alright," Severus stammered although it was more to comfort himself then her. He didn't know what he would do if she died.

His words only seemed to make her more agitated though. "No! No you can't let them take Harry and Belle. Don…..don't let them give them to Albus. The….the letter explains everything."

"Lily what are you talking about? Explains what?" Severus asked desperate to understand.

He bent his head closer and her next words changed Severus Snape forever.

"Harry…Harry and Belle…not James's children. They're….yours."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Severus Snape could honestly say that there had been very few things in his life that had fazed him, and all of them involved Lily Potter.

But this?

This took the cake by far. A dying Lily had just told him that the twins who currently inhabited the crib a few feet away were sired by him. It would have been the most outrageous fabrication ever concocted if it had been told to him by anyone other than Lily.

But it was Lily who had told him this, so he couldn't simply dismiss it as a ridiculous untruth, because he knew that she would never lie to him about something so serious.

"Read….read the letter. It….it explains everything."

Severus stared down at the letter and flinched when he felt her reach for his hand. The letter was still gripped tightly in his other fist and his eyes were blurring with tears at what Lily had just told him.

"R-raise them well Sev. Please look after them. Don't….don't let Dumbledore have them. Please Sev….please promise me you'll look after….after them."

Her voice was getting weaker and weaker with each word and Severus was straining to hear her.

"Lily…Lily please hold on you're going to be fine. I'm not going to let you die on me, please stay with me. I can't do this without you," he said in a broken whisper. Her smile became angelic, just like the beautiful Lily he remembered.

"Yes…yes you can. You can do anything. You…..you're going to be….an…an amazing father. Don't….don't be afraid Sev…."

And she spoke no more.

"Lily?" he shook her shoulders desperately. "Lily?"

But there was no answer.

Severus let out an anguished howl, and buried his head in her neck as he felt the grief fully. The love of his life Lily Potter was gone.

Ω

He remained that way for what seemed like a while. But in truth it must have only been a few minutes. Soon enough the tears stopped flowing because there were still things that he had to do. Severus glanced down at the still form of Lily Potter.

"Goodbye Lily," he whispered, tears still clogging his voice. Then he remembered what she had begged him to do and he nodded, his resolve once again hardening.

"I promise Lily."

It was then that he strode over to the twins crib and stared down at what he now believed were his children. Lily wouldn't lie about something like that. She wouldn't have told him if it wasn't true.

He thought when he would first glimpse the brats of James Potter, it would be with hatred. But now knowing the truth, he could honestly say that he had never seen anything more beautiful.

Harry and Isabelle had quieted and were staring up at him with eyes as large and as green as emeralds. Severus gasped at the color. They were the same shape as Lily's eyes, but they were deeper and richer in color. They were the most incredible eyes Severus had ever seen. No doubt, a mixture of his and Lily's.

It was in that moment, that Severus realized the truth and there was no denying it.

These were his children.

But he needed to think and he couldn't do that when the grief was so near. He bent down and kissed the chaste lips of Lily Evans, saying his final goodbyes as he whispered his love for her and how much he would miss her.

As he straightened up however, there was another thunderous crash downstairs and he heard the telltale voices of Albus Dumbledore and that oaf of a groundskeeper Hagrid.

Severus cursed under his breath. He needed to think and he couldn't do that with a bunch of Aurors walking around and asking questions. But there was no way he was about to leave the twins in the hands of Albus Dumbledore, he had promised Lily that wouldn't happen.

And so, without even thinking, Severus shoved the letter Lily had given him into the front pocket of his robes, swept the twins into his arms and spun on his heel, disapparating away from Godric's Hollow altogether.

When they arrived at Severus's flat in Knockturn Alley, the young man quickly opened the door and hustled in, hoping that no one had seen him. The flat was empty and silent which meant that Antonius was still on his date.

Normally, this would have annoyed Severus to no end, but now he was incredibly grateful for the silence.

He hurried to his room and carefully laid the twins down on his bed who up until now had been surprisingly silent.

Severus then sat down next to them and buried his face in his hands. What the _hell_ was he going to do? He had just been named the father of twins, the love of his life had just died in his arms and his grief was still sharp from that.

But another part of his mind urged him to focus, that the situation was much bigger than the death of Lily Evans.

The only way he was going to decide on an appropriate course of action was by reading the letter she had given him. Severus tore said message from his pocket and ripped it open, sitting back on the bed and bracing himself.

_Dearest Severus_

_ If you are reading this then I can assume that you have forgiven me for all that I have put you through for the past couple of years. Please know that I didn't mean it and if given the choice to go back and do it all again differently, I would in a heartbeat._

_ I did love you Sev. Maybe not in the way you or even I wanted, but I did. And the twins are an expression of that._

_ Their names are Harry Severus Potter and Isabelle Delancey Potter. They have the best of both you and me in them and I love them more than anything. I wouldn't change that one night we had for all the tea in China, because it gave me all that I wanted and more. _

_ I have the utmost confidence in you Sev. Please don't give them up. There is not a doubt in my mind that you will make an amazing father. You deserve to be loved beyond anything else, and that is something that Harry and Belle can give to you._

_ You may not have heard about the prophecy that has Lord Voldemort targeting them because they are rumored to be the most powerful magical duo in centuries. I don't believe in prophecy, you and I both know that we make our own destiny. But I cannot deny that their accidental magic has already started. I can only conclude that that part of the prophecy is indeed true. _

_ It is my greatest wish that when they come of age that they attend Hogwarts. I know that your time there was not the best, but that doesn't mean that theirs won't be. Perhaps I should clarify though. I still care for Albus Dumbledore, he is a great man, but somewhat too distracted by his own self importance. I know that you will raise Harry and Isabelle to be better then that. I want them to have the experience that I had. Dumbledore is a very small part of Hogwarts. He does not occupy all of it. _

_ James doesn't know a thing about their origins and if I have my way he never will. But I couldn't keep the truth from you dear Sev. You deserved to know and that's why you're reading this. I wish I could have told you earlier, but timing is everything in the magical community. _

_ Severus promise me that you will raise Harry and Belle in the way I would have done and be the father that James never could be._

_ Despite his never knowing, he has made them his heirs so their finances are looked after, there is no need to worry about that. Harry will one day be Lord Potter. _

_ Please take them somewhere far away from the magical world, they don't need to be affected by all the media circus they may or may not garner from this prophecy. I don't want it to dictate their life and I will not let them be controlled by things that they cannot control now. Only share their secret with those whom you trust._

_ Whatever happens Sev, know that I loved you. I wish things could have been different and that I had made different choices but I must live with what I have done. I hope that someday that you can forgive me. Look after Harry and Belle._

_ All my love:_

_ Lily_

Severus barely felt the tears running down his face as he finished the letter. But these weren't entirely tears of grief anymore. The pain of losing Lily was still there, but now it was tempered with a calm determination to do what she had asked of him.

He glanced down at the two little forms next to him and reached over to touch the forehead of young Belle.

As he did so, her little hand shot up and seized one of his fingers, holding on for dear life. Her wide green eyes met his, brimming with intelligence so much like Lily's and that's when he broke down completely.

He reached down and picked up both twins, resting his cheek on the tops of their little heads as he whispered words that he had never meant more in his life.

"It's okay. Daddy's here, Daddy's got you. I promise, I'm never going to let anything happen to you. You're mother loved you and so do I."

He remained that way for a long time, just holding the twins and rocking them slowly back and forth until they fell asleep. Even then Severus didn't let go of the babies. There was just something so right about holding them in his arms and he didn't feel the urge to put them down any time soon.

These were his children. He loved them so much already and he had only known about them for an hour. See that's the funny thing about being a parent. From the minute you hold your child for the first time, you would immediately jump in front of a bullet for them, or in this case a killing curse, but you get the idea.

Pretty soon though, his arms began to ache and he had to put them down. Carefully Severus placed Harry and Isabelle beneath the thick coverlet of the blanket and shut all the windows and drew all the curtains so that no one could see in.

After all, no one knew the whereabouts of Harry and Isabelle Potter and he wasn't intending on anyone finding out, especially that old fool Albus Dumbledore.

After checking to make sure that the twins were warm enough, Severus exited the room and pulled the door closed just enough that he could still see his children as they slept, but that it was still quiet in the room.

He then went to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of tea, although some fire whiskey right about then would have been nice.

It was only when he had sat down by the fireplace with the cup of tea wrapped firmly in his hands that it hit him like a ton of bricks.

_I'm a father, _his mind kept repeating.

_I'm a father._

_ I AM A FATHER!_

"Bloody hell," Severus whispered hoarsely, eyes on the bedroom door. This was not how he had planned to spend this part of his life. It was then that he got up and began to pace.

"I'm twenty two years old there is no way I can be a father. Lily what were you thinking?! And it isn't one child, its twins! I don't even know where I want to go with potions, apprentices don't make that much money as it is, how the hell am I gonna support them? Giving them up is not an option but-"

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him and Severus jumped before whirling around.

"Tony!" he all but yelled. "What…what are you doing back so early?"

His cousin looked at the clock on the mantle. "Sev, it's almost midnight. I'm late, and what the hell are you going on about?"

"Nothing, nothing," Severus muttered a little too quickly causing his cousins frown to deepen considerably.

"And why the hell is your door closed?" The Italian asked, striding across the living room to his cousins bed room door. "You never have it closed. Don't tell me you're hiding something-"

"No don't go in there!" Severus all but yelled.

Too late.

Antonius pushed open the door to his room and caught sight of the twins sleeping sounding under the blanket and the teasing smile dropped from his face like a brick of lead falling to the floor. His face went completely white and he froze. His eyes stared at the two small forms on the bed in complete disbelief and the hand that was grasping the doorknob was shaking like a leaf.

Somehow Antonius managed to close the door and stumble to the couch where he collapsed like a rag doll, staring unseeing at the fireplace.

Severus, having a feeling it was going to take his cousin some time to process just what the hell was going on, poured a second cup of tea and placed it into his cousin's hand before sitting down across from him.

After a few minutes and large sips of tea, Antonius finally opened his mouth.

"Sev we've only been in London for two months. And I'm fast, but there is no way I'm that quick. So I'm only gonna ask you this one time. Who in the hell do those kids belong to?"

Severus took a deep breath, he didn't even realize that the hand that was on the mug of tea was shaking.

"They're mine," he said hoarsely.

Silence reigned in the living room, the kind of silence where one could hear every creak of the floor boards, every drop of water from the sink in the kitchen, every breeze no matter how quiet coming from the outside and every far off bid of goodnight from the merchants of Diagon Alley.

Antonius bit his lip for a moment without saying anything, then he got up which surprised his cousin. He glanced down at Severus.

"Something tells me I'm in for a long story and I think I'm gonna need something a whole hell of a lot stronger then tea."

Ω

So for the next hour, the two young men sat in the living room of their flat and the truth was laid out on the floor in front of them.

Severus told the story of the night he and Lily had spent together before she went running back to James. How he had come to them in Italy wanting to get away from the pain and that being the best two years of his life. Of coming back and encountering Lily outside of Gringotts and finally her Patronus finding him and leading him to Godric's Hollow where Lily told him the unbelievable truth before she died in his arms.

When he was finished, Antonius leaned back on the couch looking dazed. That was how Severus felt in fact. Now that he had told everything, he felt strangely empty.

"So those two are your children?" his cousin asked as if he still couldn't believe it himself. Severus nodded and his cousin exhaled sharply.

"So what are you gonna do?" he asked.

"That's the question of the hour. Giving them up for adoption is not an option given my feelings and their….situation." Antonius frowned. "And what situation would that be?"

Severus sighed and sat back down on the couch.

"Do you remember a few weeks ago when I accompanied Cambridge with that delivery to Hogwarts?"

Antonius nodded.

"Well I happened to run into one of my old professors who asked me to keep an eye on the situation and when I arrived in Godric's Hollow tonight following the Patronus, Lily told me….she told me…"

He had to stop here and take a breath. Talking about Lily even though her death had been only few hours ago was hard. He had made a promise to move on with his life and that's what he had done, but he never expected that a part of her, a very large part would be attached to him as well.

Finally he was able to continue. "She told me that there was a prophecy concerning the twins. She told me that Lily was in fact a pureblood descended from Rowena Ravenclaw, and that the twins were the only ones powerful enough to kill Voldemort."

Antonius's eyes were as big as dinner plates. "That would make sense," he whispered. "Twins haven't been born to a magical family in centuries, and because their pureblood, they would be twice as powerful."

Severus frowned. "I'm not a pureblood though."

Antonius shook his head. "Yes you are, I never told you this because I was too young to remember it happening. But when you were a year old, your mother came to us and begged us to adopt you so that if anything happened to her because of your father, you would be looked after. My mother told me she had never remembered seeing anyone so scared.

That was why you started spending every summer with us and very little time at home. We made sure that you could see your mother when she asked, but she was adamant that you were to stay with us. A blood adoption ceremony was performed when you were one. Why do you think people always ask if you're Italian by birth when they first see you?"

Severus was speechless. He always wondered why he had never really gone home during the summer. If he wanted to see his mother, she would always come visit him but his father never came. Not that he had cared. He hated his father, but now it all made perfect sense. He was a pureblood, as was Lily….which made Harry and Isabelle insanely powerful.

"Dear Merlin, this can't be happening to me," he groaned, sinking down onto the couch again. Antonius took a sip from his glass of firewhiskey.

"I think we can all agree that this is pretty unbelievable," he said. Severus strode over to the fire place and tossed another log in, watching the sparks fly into the air and the embers glow and writhe in the light.

"I'm a father," he said again for what felt like the millionth time. Antonius sighed and got up to check on the twins.

"Yes you are," he replied, closing the door to the bedroom. "And if I may say so, those are some pretty beautiful kids. I know you don't want to give them up, I wouldn't either, but I do think we need to decide what we're going to do."

"We?" Severus asked turning to face his cousin. Antonius gave him a look.

"Well yeah, I'm obviously going to help you whatever you decide." Severus wasn't sure if his grin was from exhaustion or from relief. But it was probably the latter because he felt as if an enormous weight had lifted off his shoulder.

"Thanks Tony," he said gratefully and his cousin clapped his shoulder. "What's family for if I can't do something like this?" he asked, his old grin returning.

"So what are the names of my niece and nephew?" he asked and Severus nearly choked on his tea. "Niece and Nephew?" he finally managed to sputter. Antonius rolled his eyes.

"Severus we grew up together, you're as good as my brother so it makes sense that I play a sort of uncle role in their lives as well." Severus considered that for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "I suppose you have a point there. Very well, their names are Harry Severus Potter and Isabelle Delancey Potter, although now that I think about it, Snape is probably better."

Antonius sat back down on the couch in a heap the bewildered look overcoming his face once more. Then to the surprise of his cousin, he began to laugh hysterically.

"And just what is so funny?" Severus demanded. It look Antonius five minutes before he was able to say anything.

"I'm sorry, I'm still trying to process the fact you went from being a bachelor and well known potions apprentice to being a single father of twins in two hours! It's just…it's just too much!"

Severus glared at his cousin. "I'm glad you find my current predicament amusing," he muttered under his breath. Antonius sobered up quickly after that.

"Look Sev, we're all exhausted, how about we get some rest and talk more about this in the morning. Merlin knows, you need a good bed right about now."

His cousin nodded and sighed deeply. After bidding Antonius goodnight, he walked into his own room and closed and locked the door. The twins were still sound asleep in his bed, a thought which startled him as he thought that all of newborn infants had sleeping patterns. He remembered hearing his mother tell him that he had always been a fussing baby and had kept her up half the night with his crying.

He carefully checked and felt and overwhelming relief when he heard their slow deep breathing. Severus then strode to the window above his bed and pulled the curtains aside so the soft moonlight was let into the room. The silvery glow lighted on the twin's faces making them appear even more angelic.

Severus felt the lump in his throat grow even bigger. For better or worse, these were his children, and he would be damned if he gave them up because he was afraid of being a father. He wouldn't have been a man worthy of Lily if he had done that.'

He was going to keep them and raise them the way she would have wanted.

Looking at them now, he realized that it wouldn't be hard to love them. Looking at their sweet innocent faces was enough to make him weak at the knees, as well as make the feeling of Lily being gone even more pronounced. But he had shed enough tears about that for one night.

With a wave of his wand, he quickly transformed the small wooden cradle he kept full of potions book beside the bed into an adequate crib and levitated both the twins into it.

They didn't even move as they were still sound asleep. When Severus set them gently down in the bed, Harry turned and in his sleep, reached out and curled his fingers around Isabelle's tiny hand. Their father watched with astonishment when she tightened her grip with her brother's

Severus blinked rapidly.

Bed…..it was time for bed.

Ω

Albus Dumbledore was furious.

Every carefully laid plan he had, had crumbled to ashes the second he and Hagrid and Professor McGonagall stepped through the smashed door at Godric's Hollow to discover the bodies of Lily and James Potter and then Harry and Isabelle missing.

The ancient Mugwump just couldn't understand it. It was like they had simply vanished. Aside from him and Sirius Black, no one had known where the Potters were hiding, so how on earth did the twins just up and disappear?

He couldn't have this, Harry and Isabelle were supposed to separated from each other. Harry was supposed to go to his Muggle relatives and Isabelle to an orphanage. They were too powerful to be kept together. They were supposed to meet again at Hogwarts, under his orchestration of course and then they would be so grateful to him for uniting them, they would be indebted and easy for him to use.

All for the greater good of course.

But now all those plans had come to nothing if he didn't have the two catalysts to set the whole thing in motion.

As the wizard with too many names looked around the house and arranged for the Aurors to take Lily and James away for proper burial, he failed to notice the strange half smile that was forever frozen on Lily's face. Clearly, even in death she had been happy.

Just then, an awful thought occurred to Albus. What if the twins hadn't survived? What if Voldemort had succeeded in killing them?

But in the days that would follow, he would quickly rule that out as they would discover a pair of robes and a wand in the place that would belong to one Lord Voldemort, freeing the Wizarding world from his reign of terror.

The entire magical country mourned the loss of Lily and James, but were mystified about the disappearances of the Potter twins.

It was a conundrum that would have to be solved. Albus Dumbledore was not about to give up on his chess pieces. He would wrest control again, and then he would have the power that he deserved.

Ω

Severus awoke with a start. An unfamiliar sound had waked him and he shot up from his bed in a flash.

It was the sound of crying.

Severus threw back his blanket and got up hurrying to the crib where the twins lay. Harry was still fast asleep, but Isabelle was awake and whimpering softly.

Severus felt his heart twist as he looked at his baby girl whose eyes were full of tears. Slowly, carefully, almost hesitantly, the new father reached down and picked her up. He had held her before but this was different, he wanted to make sure that merlin forbid, he didn't drop her. That would be disastrous

But finally, he worked up the nerve and did it. The second Isabelle was securely in his arms, Severus gasped at how small she was. Her little face, while still shiny with tears was staring up at him with the most adoring expression on her face, almost as if she knew she was being held by her father.

Severus's own eyes were beginning to blur as he watched. Slowly almost absently, he walked over to the window where the moonlight was filtering through and just watched her as she looked out the window, face bathed in silver light.

Just then she began to giggle in that stereotypical baby laugh that usually had adults going weak at the knees. She put her chubby hand out as if trying to catch hold of the silvery light and Severus uttered a choked laugh.

It was just then, at the sound of his sister's laughter that Harry awoke too. Having found himself alone in the crib he let out an outraged squeal and waved his arms in the air to get his father's attention.

Severus laughed again, and this time it sounded happier. He shifted Isabelle to his other arm and then walked to back to the crib to pick up his son.

"Da….da….da…" Harry kept repeating over and over and for what felt like the millionth time that night, Severus felt overcome with emotion.

He looked down at his children who had already acknowledged his as their father and an odd feeling swelled in his heart.

The pain of losing Lily was still there, but there was an strange feeling in his heart as he looked down at his children, their eyes shining with unabashed love and wonder.

They loved. It didn't matter what he had done, or the circumstances or the fact that they had just lost their mother. He was there father, and they weren't judging him, after all babies couldn't do that.

Perhaps that was why adults loved them so much.

Before Severus put the twins back in their crib, kissed their foreheads and tucked them in, he whispered the words he had said to them before and this time, he meant them more than ever.

"I'm going to take care of you. I'm never going to let anyone hurt you. Daddy will always be here."

Antonius, who had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, had heard the twins crying and had come to the door of his cousin's room to make sure they were alright, had arrived just in time to hear Severus's speech.

Turning quickly, he hurried back to his room, smile on his face, drink of water completely forgotten.

"You know what Sev?" he muttered as he closed the door to his room.

"I think Lily knew exactly what she was doing."

Ω

Severus had never been more thankful to have a day off in his life.

After he had put the twins to bed again, he had lain awake tossing and turning for an hour before he fell into an exhausted sleep.

He must have slept like a rock because when he awoke again, the sun was shining like a spotlight through the window and he was in the exact same position he had fallen asleep in.

Severus got out of bed, stretched and walked over to the crib to check on the twins. He felt a little guilty for sleeping so late, but a cold feeling washed over him when he looked at the crib and saw that his son and daughter were gone.

The potions master, snatched his robe off the head board of his bed and tore into the living room about to scream for his cousin when he saw Antonius sitting on the floor.

A blanket was spread out in front of him and the twins were sitting up on it playing happily with a few toys that were next to them.

Antonius was sitting watching them, a peculiar glow on his face, but at the sound of the door opening, he jumped and looked up to find his cousin staring at him.

"Oh, there you are Sev, I was wondering when you would wake up. I know you needed to sleep, so I thought I would go get the twins and feed them for you."

His cousin looked rather sheepish, but all Severus felt was relief.

"Thanks Tony," was all he said before sitting down and picking up Harry, Isabelle was still preoccupied with a toy and didn't even look up when her father approached.

The little boy waved his arms up and down like he was trying to take flight as he sat on his dad's lap, causing a chuckle to sound from both young men.

All of a sudden, Severus frowned, because as Harry was waving his arms about, a piece of his hair covering part of his forehead flipped to the side causing his father to blink and do a double take.

There was a curious birthmark inhabiting the right side of his son's forehead. Wait, at least he thought it was a birthmark. But as he took a closer look at it, he realized that the blemish showing stark against his son's perfect skin was in fact not a birthmark at all, but a scar in the shape of a spider's web. It was a small red dot and black lines were radiating out from it in ripples.

Severus didn't have to look very hard at it to know that something was off about it. He quickly set Harry down and picked up Isabelle who squealed with indignation at the toy she was losing.

Her father gently parted her hair on the same side where her brother's scar was an sucked in a breath because sure enough, the same spider web shaped scar dotted her perfect skin as well.

"Tony, what does this look like to you?' Severus asked as he turned both twins toward his cousin so he could see them.

Antonius squinted for a moment but when his eyes locked with the scar on his niece and nephews forehead, he went pale.

"I don't know Sev, but it doesn't look natural. I'd want to get that looked at immediately. Something about that just doesn't look right."

Severus nodded. "That's what I thought," he muttered before he got up and snatched a sheet of parchment and a quill off the writing desk his cousin and he used to take down messages.

"What are you doing?" Antonius asked from the couch.

"Writing the one person who will know what to do. My old professor?" he replied after a while. When he was finished writing, he sat back and looked the letter over before sealing it.

_Minerva_

_ I have great need of your assistance. Please come to the flat in Knockturn Alley immediately. We are the third building down from Flourish and Blotts just around the corner. Come quickly and tell no one where you are going._

_ Severus._

Satisfied with the letter, Severus uncaged Hercules, his cousin's beautiful eagle owl, tied the letter two its leg and sent it off into the morning air before he settled down besides his cousin with his son and daughter to wait.

No more than an hour passed before there was a light tap on the door. Severus and Antonius exchanged glances, before Antonius got up and hurried to answer it.

"Who is it?" he asked cautiously.

"Minerva McGonagall," came the even quieter reply. Antonius shot a glance at his cousin before Severus nodded and he opened the door.

The deputy headmistress of Hogwarts was standing there, a worried expression on her face and wringing her hands as if someone had just died. Her eyes were heavy with grief and the lines in her face seemed deeper than usual.

As soon as she saw Severus on the couch though, she relaxed somewhat. She stepped inside the flat and Antonius closed the door behind her.

"Severus what was so important that-"

It was then that she saw the twins and she stumbled back a moment as if she had been struck. Her hands began to shake and Antonius put out a hand to steady her. He guided her to the couch upon which she sank down gratefully.

"Severus…are…are those the Potter twins?" she finally managed to gasp out. When Severus nodded in affirmation, she let a small sob and buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. The only sound in the room for the new few minutes, were the sounds of the twins still playing happily on the carpet and Minerva's crying.

When she finally raised her face from her hands, her eyes were dry but her shoulders were still shaking slightly.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked gently. Minerva took a deep breath and nodded. She reached into the front pocket of her robes, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes and cheeks before she spoke.

"Severus would you mind telling me, just what exactly the Potter twins are doing here?" she asked in bewildered surprise.

Severus took a deep breath. "Before I tell you, you might want to read this," he replied holding the letter Lily had written to him out to her.

McGonagall took the letter like it was a venomous snake about to bite her and slowly unfolded it, her eyes never leaving his the whole while. Finally, she adjusted her spectacles and began to read it.

Aside from the twins playing with each other and waving their toys around, the flat was utterly silent.

As McGonagall read, she inadvertently placed her hand over her mouth in a silent gasp as she took in everything. Her tears started to fall again somewhere halfway through the letter but when she finally reached the end, her eyes were once more dry.

Finally, she looked up at her former student.

"So these two are Harry and Isabelle Snape?" she asked. Severus nodded as he looked down at his children with a smile on his face.

"But….but how is this possible?" McGonagall asked. "No disrespect intended Severus, but Lily would not be the type of woman who would have an affair."

"They were conceived before the wedding," Severus supplied. "I always wondered why she was so quick to marry James after…..that night we spent together. But….but now I know why. I didn't know I was a father until last night I swear."

Minerva sat back in her chair. Antonius handed her a cup of tea which she gratefully accepted.

"What are you going to do?" She asked. "Albus is going out of his mind looking for these two. He had some sort of plan that involves them and I don't know what it is, but I don't like it. He was absolutely livid when he arrived in Godric's Hollow with Hagrid and found that Lily and James were dead and the twins missing."

While she was still speaking, Severus unconsciously picked is son and daughter up and wrapped his arms around them protectively. There was no way that old fool was getting his hands on his children.

"So does that still make them half-bloods?" Minerva asked. Severus shook his head, but it was Antonius who spoke up.

"Actually it doesn't Professor McGonagall. Sev was blood adopted by my parents when he was no older then the twins are now. So we are in a sense brothers. His mother begged us to because she was afraid that if something were to happen to her because of Sev's father, then there would be somewhere for him to go. So Harry and Isabelle are purebloods."

Minerva leaned forward in her chair as if in shock. "You do realize this is going to make them even more powerful and if Albus finds out-"

"He's not going to find out," Severus and Antonius broke in quickly. Minerva looked at him and frowned.

"It's going to be awfully difficult to keep this from him. He had eyes and spies everywhere, in fact I was supremely surprised that I wasn't followed here."

"You're his deputy head, he's not going to suspect you of any kind of foul play," Severus supplied reasonable, but his former teacher still looked nervous.

"Even still, it's too dangerous for them to stay here. Not all of the Dark Lord's followers have been captured and if someone puts two and two together-"

"They won't," Severus said quickly. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do, but Harry and Isabelle cannot stay here. It's too dangerous."

Severus ignored the questioning look his cousin shot at him, and kept looking at his former teacher and the Gryffindor head of house.

"Like I said I'm not sure what I'm going to do, because Antonius and I have been working for Cambridge for about eight weeks now and we're learning a lot. I would give it all up in a heartbeat if it meant Harry and Isabelle's safety, but its still something that needs to be discussed."

All of a sudden Antonius snapped his fingers. "I've got it!" he exclaimed causing both his cousin and the teacher to jump.

"Whatever it is I hope it's not contagious," Severus said sarcastically. Antonius rolled his eyes.

"No I mean, I have at least what is a temporary solution to your problem. The twins will stay with my mother," he said.

"Severus frowned, "To live while I work here? When will I see them?" Antonius grinned at his cousin. "That's the easy part. You and I will go to work for Cambridge. Mother will look after the twins in the daytime. After work every day, you and I will floo home and we can spend the evening with Mother, Harry and Isabelle. Then after we tuck the twins in, we can come back here."

"Tony you're a genius," Severus exclaimed a genuine smile lighting his handsome features. "I do remember her pestering us the other day because we had yet to get married and provide her with grandchildren."

Minerva was starting to smile. "Do you mean your aunt Emilia Andronicus, Severus?" she asked. Her former pupil nodded.

"Yes," I'm sure she will be glad to look after the twins. She's always saying that the Andronicus mansion is too quiet and she misses when I and Tony were kids because there was always noise in the house. She loved to play games with us, and it would be good for the twins to get to know their grandmother," Severus mused.

He sighed deeply, suddenly feeling incredibly relieved. "Alright that's what we'll do then," he said, clapping his hands together.

Minerva's look grew tentative, almost fearful. "Severus…can I….may I….hold one of them?"

Her former student looked at her incredulously. "Of course, you don't even have to ask." He reached out and handed Harry to her who was immediately amused with the long string of pearls she was wearing around her neck.

Instantly the baby boy made a grab for the shiny adornment and Minerva gasped quietly, the tears coming back to her eyes.

"Oh Severus…..they're beautiful," she murmured staring at Harry's eyes which were as large and green as emeralds.

"I've never seen eyes this color before." She glanced up at the young man. "I can't say I think the situation and circumstances surrounding their birth were ideal, but I can easily say these are some of the most beautiful children that I have ever seen."

Severus beamed at the praise, but then he remembered something.

"Minerva?" he said hesitantly as he watched the older woman play with Harry, Isabelle still on his lap. "There was something else that I wanted to ask you."

"What's that Severus?"

Not wasting any more time, Severus reached over and swept the tufts of dark hair away from his son's forehead, revealing the web shaped scar hidden there.

The deputy headmistress took one look at the blemish and gasped.

"Severus, was this a result of the Dark Lord?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Silence reigned in the living room. Antonius was looking back and forth between the teacher and his cousin.

Severus nodded.

"Yes."

The Gryffindor head of house nodded sharply. "I don't know what this is Severus, but it is clearly dark magic. I don't think I've ever seen a scar like that before. No blemish should be that shape. You must have it removed immediately."

Severus nodded. "I agree, but I don't even know what it is. Is it on both children?"

Severus swept aside Isabelle's hair for his former teacher to see. She sucked in air through her teeth for a moment, and closed her eyes as if thinking about what to do.

"Take them to the goblins at Gringotts. They had healers that are well versed in Dark Magic, they'll know what to do."

Severus nodded. "I only noticed it a few hours ago and it worried me. If it is a result of the Dark Lord's magic when he tried to kill them, then I want it removed right away."

Minerva nodded in agreement. "I know that it is far too early for me to be asking this, but seeing as you now know where Albus stands, do you think that you will send the twins to Hogwarts when they come of age?"

"It was one of Lily's last wishes. I can't deny her something she asked me before dying. They will go, but I will see to it that they will be adequately prepared so that they will be able to fend off anything he throws at them."

"You do realize that I would be more than willing to help teach them when you decide they are ready," she said. Severus smiled at his favorite teacher.

"That would be most helpful thank you. But before that happens, I want the twins looked at and then Antonius and I will take them to Italy where they will be safe for the next few years.

Minerva rose to leave and handed Harry to Antonius. But at the door she turned back and looked him squarely in the eye before departing.

"Be careful Severus. There are many people who do not believe that the twins were killed by the dark lord. There are still others who are looking for them. Albus believes them to not be dead in the slightest and he will look for them as long as he believes that they are alive. I will do my best to throw him off your trail for a while, but I cannot promise anything I do will be successful."

Severus quickly embraced the teacher quickly before pulling back. "Guard them with your life Severus," she said after she gently kissed Isabelle on the cheek. "Children like them are worth more than all the galleons in the world. Lily made the right choice, you will be an incredible father, and Harry and Isabelle are going to do incredible things."

With that she turned and swept out the door, leaving Severus to ponder her prophetic words. He came back into the room and set Isabelle down on the rug beside her brother to continue playing.

"So what do we do first?" Antonius asked.

"First, we deal with the scars. And then it is time for the Potter twins to disappear completely. I think the name of Andronicus would suit them, don't you?"

Antonius grinned.

Ω

**Hey Guys, so since you were so polite and thoughtful with the comments and follows, I thought that I would do something completely crazy and update early. Here is chapter 3 please tell me what you think :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Severus and his cousin made the decision to wait until it was closing time for most of the shops in Diagon Alley before they would floo to Gringotts. The day was spent quietly playing with the twins, feeding them and settling them down for a nap, before the process of waking them, casting glamour charms and flooing to Gringotts began.

Antonius watched his cousin putter about the flat calmly dressing the twins. He had left earlier in the day to purchase some children's close from a Muggle store so that they would have something else to wear other than the red and yellow sleepers Severus had found them in.

After dressing the twins, he changed their hair color to a deep brown shade, and their eyes to a light blue. He brushed their hair down over the side of their faces that bore the scar so no one would see it. It didn't matter that they looked completely different from the Potter twins, if someone were to see those scars, they would be recognized immediately. If the articles that were frequently appearing in the Daily Prophet were true, then the hunt for the Potter heirs was still very much alive

"We need some kind of reason to be at the bank," Antonius mused as he picked up Isabelle and threw her up in the air much to his nieces delight. "If we show up just claiming to need a healer, suspicions will be raised."

"I agree, but I believe out of all the magical creatures there are, I think that we can trust the goblins with this secret if it were necessary to reveal it to them. They hate wizards, especially Albus Dumbledore."

"I've always been on decent terms with them. And in fact there is one goblin in the Gringotts here that I know quite well," Antonius mused.

"Which one is that?"

"His name is Ripfang."

So with that in mind, Severus and Antonius, each carrying a twin, stepped through the fireplace and after yelling Gringotts, Diagon Alley, disappeared in a wave of green powder.

A second later they stumbled out of the fireplace in the bank and coughing, made their way to the teller.

It had been a while since Severus had been back to the Gringotts in London, and he had in fact forgotten how large it was. The pillars holding up the roof and the black and white marble everywhere stood in stark contrast to the fact that all the tellers and bank workers were only half the sizes of the wizards they were serving.

Carefully Severus drew his dark cloak a little further across Harry so no one could see his face. Noticing this, his cousin did the same with Isabelle.

Antonius stepped up to the teller and gave a short bow before addressing the Goblin in its native tongue. Severus blinked. He didn't know that his cousin spoke their language. The bank teller himself had nearly fallen off the stack of books he was standing on. But after a moment, he seemed to recover and began to nod rapidly as Antonius continued.

There was then a break in the conversation where Antonius swept his cloak aside to reveal Isabelle and motioned for Severus to do the same thing with Harry.

The teller's eyes widened before he jumped down from his stack of books and motioned for them to follow him down a long hall where he showed them into a room where the door was clearly marked director.

He then shut the door. Severus glanced at his cousin and raised an eyebrow. "What just happened?" he asked.

Antonius grinned, "I told him that we are here to look over the Andronicus accounts that I have not had time to sign off on since the death of my father and that we would need to see a healer right away because of the children."

Severus slowly sat down in his chair. "And since when do you speak the language of the Goblin Nation?"

"Since I could walk. My mother insisted that it was a valuable tool to learn because you do not make an enemy of a goblin and live. She was sure that it would be an advantage to us one day and she was right."

"Tony sometimes you amaze me," Severus said chuckling The Italian laughed.

"Yeah well that's what I live to do," said his cousin with his familiar cheeky grin. He had no sooner said the words then the door opened and a goblin in a dark suit, with white hair partially covering his face, and spectacle coving one eye hurried in and sat down in the chair behind the desk.

"Ah, Director Ragnok, it is a pleasure to see you again," Antonius said smoothly, amazing his cousin at how fast he was able to go from teasing to business.

"Lord Andronicus, I was informed that you wished to look over your late father's accounts?" the elderly goblin asked.

The Italian nodded. "Indeed, but that can wait. There is another, more pressing matter that I wish to address."

With that he swept aside the cloaks that were hiding his niece and nephew and watched as the goblin raised his eyebrows.

"Are these the Potter twins Lord Andronicus?" The director asked quietly and Severus stiffened. He felt his cousin glance at him but somehow he managed to nod before turning back to the head Goblin.

"Yes Director, but it is imperative that their identity go no farther than this room, for the name of Potter will not exist after we leave."

The director blinked for a moment before nodding. He got up and closed the door completely before throwing up a few silencing and locking charms so that they would not be disturbed.

"How can I help you?" he asked when he had finally returned to his seat.

"We would like for the name of Potter to be dissolved and for Harry and Isabelle to bear the title Andronicus," Severus said quickly. "It is too dangerous for them to stay here, there are people looking for them who would use my son and daughter for their purposes and I will not have that."

The goblin's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Your children Master Snape?" he asked. Severus had never seen a goblin speechless before, and he had a feeling that this would be the closest that he would ever get.

"Yes director Ragnok, Harry and Isabelle Potter are my children."

Ω

It took at least two hours for all the details to be sorted out and even then Severus wasn't convinced that he would ever have the story straight.

After ascertaining the identity of the Potter twins, well actually now it was the Snape twins, Director Ragnok made them aware that their guardian in the magical world had been Albus Dumbledore, a concept that was put in place by James Potter and strongly contested by Lily Evans.

Severus growled when he had heard that that crackpot old fool had been assigned the task of watching over his children, but a statement from his cousin calmed his fears right away.

"Is there any way for that guardianship to be dissolved director Ragnok?" he asked calmly and Severus was greatly relieved when the goblin nodded.

"Now that a blood relative has stood up to care for Harry and Isabelle, the contract can be dissolved and he won't even need to be notified." Antonius nodded in affirmation and Severus slowly began to smile. The director went on.

"Coupled with the fact that Lily Potter was a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw and the twins have also made heir to the Potter and Andronicus titles, you may be rest assured that finances will not be an issue when taking care of these two."

Antonius whacked him on the arm. "You didn't tell me that Lily was an heir of one of the Hogwarts founders!"

"I thought it best if that information was not readily said too often," Severus explained.

"Do you wish to make a withdrawal on either account now?" The director asked and both young men exchanged glances.

"No," Antonius said. "I would like for the twins' names to be changed from Potter to Andronicus however, and I would like a healer to come in and take a look at these." With those words, he swept aside the hair on the twins' heads, revealing the spider webbed shaped scars.

The director's eyes widened. "Wait here for a moment please," he said before sliding off of his seat and all but running from the room.

The Andronicus men exchanged glances. "What the hell was that about?" Antonius wondered.

A few minutes later, their questions were answered when Ragnok returned bringing with him a young man with short dark hair and brown eyes was ushered into the room behind him. He was wearing the traditional blue healer's robes and he gave the two young men a small smile when he saw them.

"I am healer Bradbury. Who am I examining today?" he asked cheerfully and Severus placed Harry more firmly into view and motioned for his cousin to do the same.

When the young man saw the scars on the twins' foreheads, his eyes widened but whether that was from recognition or surprise, Severus didn't know and he didn't offer any information. He was also thankful that he wasn't asked for any.

After a few seconds, the young man took out his wand and waved it gently over the heads of both the twins. A sudden dark mist emanated from both of their scars for a few seconds before diving back into the blemishes and disappearing with a scream.

There was silence in the director's office.

"What….what was that?" Antonius asked shakily. The healer and the director exchanged a look.

"That, Lord Andronicus," the healer said as he rolled up the sleeves of his robe, a determined expression in his eyes. "Was a horcrux."

"A what?" Antonius asked, even though his cousin's face had gone pale.

"A piece of the soul?" Severus asked. "I've read about those. That is extremely black magic, how the hell is that possible?"

The director and Bradbury exchanged glances. "Soul splitting is a very complicated magic," the healer offered. "But it is in a sense, providing you with an immortality because as long as one of the pieces of the soul still exists you will not die."

Antonius and Severus exchanged horrified looks.

"How…..how do we get rid of them?" Severus asked in an appalled whispered. Bradbury bit his lip a bit before continuing.

"The process will be somewhat painful for them," the healer said presently. Severus shook his head. "It will be even more painful for it to be left in, get it out of them now."

Bradbury nodded and then brandishing his wand and murmuring several indistinguishable incantations, proceeded to spend the next few minutes coaxing a black mist out of the scars of the twins.

It was painful to watch and both Harry and Isabelle cried, causing Severus to nearly tear up himself at the heartbreaking sound. He had promised he would never let anyone hurt them and here he was doing just that.

Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, the black mist erupted from the scars of both the twins causing the babies to give a scream of agony.

"Quickly!" Ragnok yelled and produced two jars. In a flash Bradbury snatched them and with a wave of his wand proceeded to suck the mist into the jars before slamming the lids down on top of them and leaning against the desk breathing hard.

"Is everyone alright?" Ragnok asked as the room had gone quiet. There were a few grunts of affirmation. Harry and Isabelle were still whimpering. There were a few drops of blood coming from the scars of both of them, but as Severus and he cousin watched in astonishment, the scars on both the twin's foreheads began to slowly fade before disappearing completely. The instant it was gone, the twins stopped whimpering and the tense atmosphere in the office noticeably lessened.

Antonius leaned forward to peer into the jars which now held a black oozing tar like substances which writhed as though they were alive. Before their eyes, it began to fling itself at the wall of the jar, seemingly trying to get loose.

"What happens now?" Severus asked, arms wrapped around the twins who were suddenly beginning to look very sleepy. Director Ragnok leaned back in his chair, suddenly looking fatigued himself. He glanced at Healer Bradbury who had picked up the two jars and was eyeing them both carefully.

"I trust that you know how to destroy those," he said to the young man who nodded eagerly before tucking both jars beneath his healer's robes and heading for the door.

"Oh, and Bradbury?"

The healer turned at the sound of the Goblin's voice. Ragnok had leaned forward in his chair again, long claws folded in front of him, dark eyes blazing.

"I also trust that you will not let anything that happened in this office pass through your lips because if you do," the goblin bared his teeth. "It will mean your career."

The young man turned pale before nodding vigorously and hurrying out of the room.

Severus uttered a deep sigh and settled himself back in his chair. Harry and Isabelle looked as if they were already beginning to enter the throes of slumber and he knew that soon they would have to wrap things up if they were to get back to the flat, gather their things and floo home to Italy.

Director Ragnok refolded his hands and smiled at the two young men in front of them.

"Master Andronicus, now we can begin the process of changing the names of Harry and Isabelle Potter for good."

Ω

Severus laid his son and daughter who were now fast asleep back down on his bed, before dropping himself unceremoniously onto the sofa in the living room with a sigh.

"I can honestly say that was one of the longest days of my life," he cousin commented from the kitchen.

He came back into the living room and passed a glass of firewhiskey to his cousin who thanked him and took a sip. Antonius sat down in the arm chair opposite him and the two young men were silent for a moment.

"What am I going to do Tony? I don't know if I can be a father. I know everything's worked out for right now, but what happens tomorrow? What if something changes and Aunt Emilia can't look after them? What if someone finds out who they are now? What if-"

"Sev, calm down," his cousin said reassuringly. "First of all, the only people who know are ourselves, Professor McGonagall, Director Ragnok and that healer who won't breathe a word unless he has a death wish. Everyone else is trustworthy, and even if the matter did get out, what can Dumbledore do? He's no longer their guardian and you have the necessary means to take them far from here and see that they have a long and happy life with no mention of Voldemort."

Severus took another sip of his drink and stared into the crackling fire as he took in everything Antonius had said.

"Two of his horcruxes have already been destroyed, it's only a matter of time before the others are found and destroyed as well and then he will be as powerless over his death as you and I."

"But that's what worries me Tony. The fact that he even started developing horcruxes to begin with. Do you know how evil and deranged and utterly mad one would have to be to even contemplate the notion of splitting their soul?" Severus asked.

"Riddle was already off of his rocker to begin with and now he's targeted two innocent children. My children."

"What's your point Sev?" Antonius asked.

Severus set his empty glass of firewhiskey down on the table and looked the Italian square in the face. "It means we need to find them and dispose of them before he can return to power and he will return to power. Nagnok was right as long as these things still exist, he will be impossible to kill. The man is a nightmare and it's only a matter of time before one of his mad followers discovers a way to resurrect him. And when that happens, he'd going to come after the twins again."

Silence reigned in the living room. The only sound was the crackling of the fire as both young men took in what had been said.

"How many do you think he's made?" Antonius asked finally. Severus folded his hands in his lap. "That is the question of the hour, and the truth is I really don't know. There's very little that I know about this situation. Nothing is certain. I only knew what horcruxes are and that they are a process where one splits the soul into pieces. But that's it. In order to know more, I need to do some research."

"Where are we going to start?"

Severus smiled at his cousin's choice of words.

"First, after the twins are settled in Italy, I'm going to go to one of my former teachers. She may have some books on it. I have to start somewhere."

Antonius nodded taking a last sip of his glass of firewhiskey before setting it on the table next to his cousin's. "When do you want to take them there?"

Severus paused before answering. "Now."

Antonius blinked. "Right now? As in right this minute?"

"As in right this second. Aunt Emilia is going to be in for one hell of a surprise. But I think it's one that she will love."

Ω

So with that in mind, the two Italians set about getting the twins ready. There was a time when Severus thought that brewing specific kinds of potions was hard.

But dressing a fidgeting ten month old?

That was damn near impossible.

After an hour, he was out of breath and so was Antonius. But finally, they had achieved success. The twins were dressed in dark sleepers, lying side by side on the bed as they looked up at their father and uncle with smiles.

"You think the little devils knew how much effort we put into this?" Antonius asked with a wry grin. Severus laughed. "Definitely. These two are not going to make things easy on me, that's for damn sure."

Antonius went into the other room to make the floo call and let his mother know that they would be coming. Odds are, she would be delighted and even more so when she saw her grandchildren.

Severus sat down on the bed and took the twins in his arms, looking carefully into their large emerald eyes.

"Now I want the two of you to listen to me carefully," he began sternly even though he was feeling somewhat ridiculous because he knew they couldn't understand him.

"You are going to spend the next little while with your grandmother. I won't be able to see you every minute of every day, but I will always be there to say goodnight to you and to tuck you in. I want you to behave for your grandmother and to not give her any problems. She can use magic to take care of you so that makes it easier. But I want you to not cause any trouble."

It was his first lecture and word of advice as a parent and it might have been silly but he felt somewhat proud.

At least until he heard the throat clearing from the doorway and looked up to see his cousin there with a mocking grin on his face.

"Shut up," Severus quipped before the Italian could say anything. Antonius just shook his head, still laughing and bent to pick up Harry who was waving his arms at his uncle for attention. Severus picked up Isabelle and glanced at his cousin.

"Are we ready to leave?"

The Italian nodded and started towards the door into the living room. "I informed her we were coming and I also made a call to Cambridge to tell him we wouldn't be needing the flat anymore, and that we were just going to floo back and forth between work and Italy."

Severus blinked. "Well that was efficient."

Antonius laughed as he made his way towards the fireplace and seized a handful of green powder. "Am I ever anything but?"

Severus decided he wouldn't answer that and he didn't have to because at that moment, Antonius threw the powder into the fireplace at his feet and called out: "The Andronicus Villa, Sicily!"

There was a roar and the next thing the Potions Master knew, Antonius and Harry were gone. He tried to quell the rising anxiety that came along with his son's disappearance but it was hard, even though he knew where the little boy had gone and that he was in good hands.

_I am never ever going to get used to this, _he thought as he stepped into the fireplace and pulled little Belle closer to him. She was looking up at her father, her large emerald eyes wide and unblinking.

"Hold on little one," he murmured as he took hold of the powder. "This might be a bit dizzying."

They disappeared in a haze of green powder and a second later, Severus found himself standing next to his cousin on the beach just outside of the Andronicus villa. The torches were just being lit by the house elves who hadn't yet noticed their presence, but not for long.

"How do you want to play this?" Antonius asked as the two young men stood there waiting. Severus pursed his lips. His aunt was likely to kick up a fuss at first when he told her that Lily had died and left him with twins, but he knew that when she had heard of their predicament, she would insist that Harry and Isabelle would stay with her.

"I'll go first," Severus whispered. "After all, it's my secret."

Antonius nodded and stepped aside to allow his cousin to pass. Severus took a deep breath and then strode up to the terrace toward the house elves, Isabelle held tightly in his arms.

One of the house elves took that exact moment to look up and let out a squeal of delight.

"Master Severus, Master Antonius! You is home!" she squealed. Antonius grinned at her.

"Yes Linny, we're back. Where is my mother please?"

"Mistress Emilia is in the living room reading and we is lighting the torches and preparing the supper. Does we need to set out more plates?" the house elf asked.

At this point, the rest of the elves had taken notice and had crowded around the two young men with excited exclamations, cooing over the babies who were looking at them wide eyed.

"Yes please Linny," Antonius said finally causing all the elves to scurry off to the kitchen.

The Italian clapped a hand on Severus's shoulder and looked at him closely. "Are you ready?" Severus took another breath and squared his shoulders. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"That's the spirit."

Willing his brain to shut off and simply do as he bid it, Severus hurried up the steps of the marble patio and to the glass doors of the house. The second he had pulled them open he heard the excited voice of his aunt from the living room.

"Severus, Antonius? Is that you? Oh thank goodness you're here I was beginning to get worried." She appeared around the corner, dressed in a deep red silk robe, black hair piled fashionably atop her head and golden pins holding the tresses together. She was smiling hugely, but it dropped from her face at the sight of Harry and Isabelle.

"Boys, who….who's children are those?" she asked after swallowing a few times, before speaking. Severus and Antonius exchanged glances, mentally arguing about who should say what first. Severus won and he stepped forward.

"Their mine, Aunt Emilia. I was only back in England for about seven weeks when I informed that I was a father."

Emilia blinked and stumbled back a step. She almost appeared as if she were going to fall but luckily one of the house elves appeared at the last moment to steady her.

Linny quickly led her mistress over to the sofa in the living room and pressed a cup of tea into her hands.

_Where in Merlin's name did the notion of tea fixing anyone's problems come from?_ Severus thought absently as he watched his aunt.

After taking a few sips, she glanced up at him and Antonius, her gaze narrowing into a fearsome look that made him flinch.

"Linny?" she said, addressing the elf that was still standing beside her. "I think that we will be taking our meal in here. My boys have some explaining to do."

"Yes Mistress Emilia," the house elf said before she disappeared with a pop. Severus and Antonius winced.

This was going to be a long night.

Ω

Severus was really getting sick of telling stories. He felt like that was all he had done over the past twenty four hours since he had learned that he was a father.

He and Antonius sat down on the couch and in between bites of their meals, told Emilia everything, right down to Lily's heritage and the prophecy concerning the twins themselves as well as the horcruxes that had been embedded in their foreheads. His aunt was a scary good listener and she didn't ask any questions until it was evident that he was through. Her eyes softened in sorrow at the mention of Lily's death and she crooned at the babies for the loss of their mother, but otherwise nothing was said until the end.

When they were finally she said nothing for a great long while, simply gazing into the fire as if the glowing embers held all the secrets of the universe.

But when she turned back to face her son and nephew and new grandchildren again, her eyes were once more soft.

"May I hold them Severus?" she asked tentatively. The potions master smiled and handed Isabelle to her. Emilia tucked the baby girl into the crook of her arm and stood up, walking slowly back and forth crooning to her softly.

Severus smiled as he watched his aunt and took Harry from his cousin. She was as powerless against their magic as he had been when he first laid eyes on his son and daughter. He was beginning to feel much better about leaving them here.

"How are you planning to raise them?" Emilia said after a while as she turned back to face the two young men. Severus and Antonius exchanged glances, before the former nudged the latter with his arm who cleared his throat and finally spoke up.

"Ah….that's one of the reasons why we're here mother. You see, not everyone in the wizarding world believes that Harry and Isabelle are dead. We didn't even go out at all today. The only place we needed to go was the bank and that was only so Sev here could claim permanent guardianship of the twins and get the damn horcruxes removed."

His mother didn't even cluck her tongue at her son's language she was so horrified with the prospect of her grandchildren having parts of the soul of a dark wizard attached to them.

"Anyway," Antonius continued after Severus sent him a look. "It's not safe for them in England right now as there would be people who would try to use them. We needed to take them somewhere far enough away where they would be safe before they could start learning magic."

"It's true Aunt Emilia," Severus jumped in. "Harry and Isabelle will never be safe as long as someone still thinks that we are alive. And if Voldemort believes that they are dead then he won't have any reason to come after them."

"You honestly think he will return then?" Emilia asked quietly. The two young men exchanged glances before Severus nodded firmly.

"I do. As long as he has the horcruxes he is immortal. Something needs to be done and the twins need to be safe while it happens."

"Well they will remain here, won't they while you work and research?" Emilia said, effectively beating her son and nephew to punch line and making their following request that much easier. Severus grinned. "If that is alright with you aunt."

He barely had time to blink before she whacked him upside the head. "Of course it is alright! Merlin knows how long I have been pestering the two of you to settle down and give me grandchildren to keep be company in this enormous villa. Now I have them! No, Harry and Isabelle are going to stay right here where they will be safe."

Severus grinned at his cousin and turned to face his aunt once more. "That is quite a relief aunt, I was worried how I would raise them between going back and forth from a job and them. The last thing I want to do is hire a nanny and then have their identity leaked to the rest of the wizarding world."

Antonius cleared his throat. "And now that we know that two horcruxes were implanted in their foreheads Sev, what on earth does it all mean? I mean I know that horcruxes were a certain section of one's soul, but how on earth did one much less two become implanted on Harry and Isabelle?"

Emilia looked horrified at the direction that the conversation had taken, but Severus knew in order for them to raise the twins properly there could be no secrets, so he took a deep breath and told his aunt and cousin everything he knew of Voldemort and horcruxes which really wasn't much, down to the offer from Lucius Malfoy to join the Death Eaters a few weeks before he came to spend the two years with them.

His aunt gasped and Antonius's face went stony.

"That horrible man!" his aunt gasped as she gently rocked Isabelle. "What on earth was he thinking?"

"Lucius isn't all bad," Severus said somewhat defensively. He and the blonde Malfoy had been good friends at Hogwarts. Lucius was cunning, ambitious and ruthless, but he was also loyal to a fault. He had kept an eye on Severus when the potions master was around James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Perhaps not," Emilia said carefully. "But that still doesn't explain why he wanted you to join the dark lord's cult."

"I think it was more so to ensure that I would be safe," Severus mused. At the incredulous looks on his aunt and cousin's faces, he hurried to explain.

"Safe because I think that he wanted to ensure I never got on Riddle's bad side. There's a Muggle saying, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Even still," Emilia said, making a tsk tsk noise with her tongue. "I'm glad you had the good sense to come here and make something of yourself then to waste your life following a mad man into magical genocide. Merlin knows what might have happened."

By this time, the twins had dropped off to sleep. Harry in the arms of his father, and Isabelle nestled in the crook of her grandmother's arm. Both looked incredibly peaceful and the three adults were loath to do anything to disturb them.

"We might want to get them up to bed soon," Emilia suggested. While they had been eating, she had instructed the house elves to bring Antonius's old baby crib down from the attic and set it up in one of the guest rooms for the twins. It would have been ready soon.

Antonius bid his cousin and mother goodnight before heading quickly to his room. As soon as the door was shut at the top of the stairs, Severus leaned back on the couch, Harry still asleep in his arms as he stared into the fire.

Emilia sat down next to him and laid a gentle hand on his arm. He glanced up to see her dark eyes observing him softly. She smiled back and he relaxed further. No matter where he went in life, the Andronicus Villa would always be home and he would always feel safe there. He was very glad that this would be where Harry and Isabelle would grow up.

"Severus, I don't want to question your decision to jump into fatherhood. But are you absolutely certain. Being a parent is one of the hardest tasks you will ever do in your life. Do you think you're ready for that?"

Severus was quiet for a long while as he pondered her words. It was true that there were many aspects about being a father that scared the living hell out of him. But the truth was, spending time with his son and daughter that day had done something he had never expected.

He had bonded to those two little people who were now fast asleep. It had been one day and yet he couldn't imagine his life without them. He was already worried for their safety, and how they would fare when he was away during the day.

And that notion alone was what gave him his answer. "Yes Aunt Emilia, I am. I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my life. I know I'm still quite young, but I'm not alone in this. I want to be a father to Harry and Belle, more than I've ever wanted anything."

His words had grown determined and as Emilia looked at her nephew, she couldn't help but smile with pride. He was going to be an incredible parent, with or without Lily in his life.

"Well alright then," she said.

And that was the end of it

Ω

As Severus laid his son and daughter to rest in the crib that was adjacent to his room with a door to connect them running between, he couldn't help but think of just how lucky he was. He was back in his home, in the close grasp of family. He had recently become a father to a beautiful little boy and girl and he was already on his way to becoming a renounced potions master.

Life was complicated, but it was his and he loved it. He bent down and kissed their soft foreheads now free and unblemished from the scars of horcruxes.

Lying side by side, the twins almost looked angelic. Their jet black curly hair was lying across their foreheads in exactly the same way it would have done for him. Large eyes were closed and little chests were breathing in and out calmly.

Severus walked into his own room, but left the door to the nursery between the rooms open so that if the twins should wake in the night he would hear it and get up right away.

The room was exactly the way he had left it weeks ago. Aunt Emilia knew how he had loved his house colors of green and silver and so that was exactly the way his room had been done up when he was younger.

Except now, the silver was gone and the room was in deep evergreens and ashy coal blacks. The blankets on the high four poster bed were green, while the hangings and draperies were a deep black.

The walls themselves were painted a lighter green and the carpets were a deep black and plush, so much so that his feet sunk into them when he walked.

Severus left his window open but made sure the room was carefully warded so no unsavory characters would be able to get in during the night. He had of course shut and locked the window in the twin's room.

He knew he was being ridiculous, no one would have any reason to look for the twins in Italy. In fact, no one should have any reason to look for them at all.

He had picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet that morning before Minerva had come to visit them and in big bold letters, the words across the front had read:

**WHERE ARE THE POTTER TWINS?**

The article itself had been an overly puffed up piece about how Lily and James Potter had bravely sacrificed themselves for their baby son and daughter and as a result had been tragically killed. It went on to urge anyone who had information on the whereabouts of the twins to please contact their magical guardian Albus Dumbledore, who had been searching up and down the country looking for them.

_Up and down the country my ass, _Severus thought. _The only reason he wants them is for his own insurance policies. He's not going to see them until I say so._

Whoever had written it, in Severus's opinion deserved an award for acting. The Daily Prophet was a novelty, and as long as the idiot of a reporter, Rita Skeeter, was behind the editors desk he would always consider it ridiculous rubbish.

In fact, the headline itself was enough to make him very glad he had listened to Antonius and taken the twins out of the country where they would be raised on a villa in Sicily, an island that was only visited during the summer by witches and wizards who had their vacation homes there.

And seeing how it was November, no one would be coming to the island of notable birth for at least some months.

Severus quickly dressed for bed and then tossed the Daily Prophet into the fire place and watched in satisfaction as it burned. Then he sat down on the bed and began to make his plans for the next few years.

Isabelle and Harry had been taken care of financially. They were heirs to the Potter, Prince, and Ravenclaw estates, and would also have access to the Andronicus accounts should the worst happen.

Now to get to the business of changing their names. The name of Potter had all but vanished that afternoon at Gringotts, so that was taken care of. But he didn't want to take a chance that someone might recognize them here too.

Pulling out his quill, he began to write down a series of names that he thought would fit the twins, still keeping the first letters of their names H and I of course.

_Herald….no, its not Italian_

_Harper…..far too British_

_Harrison…somewhat cliche_

_Hadrian…hmmm perhaps_

_Horatio…..getting warmer_

_Henricus…_

It was here Severus paused. "What an interesting name," he murmured. "And certainly not one that is likely to be heard anywhere else. Very well then. Henricus Severus Andronicus it is."

Now he just had to find a name for Isabelle. Severus turned the parchment over and started his list anew.

_Iacomina…..too long_

_Ianella….no, sounds too much like vanilla, _he thought chuckling.

_Ida….no the last thing I want is to give her a name that sound like it belongs to someone three times her age._

_Ileana…..that's not bad._

_Ilaria…_

_I like it, that's beautiful, _Severus thought as he glanced down at the parchment. He had had to review all the Italian names his aunt had made him memorize when he was younger.

Ilaria…..it was beautiful. Yes then, that was it, he had successfully renamed his children.

Henricus Severus Antonius Andronicus, and Ilaria Emilia Maria Andronicus.

Severus sat back and grinned at his handiwork. They were names fit for royalty. Which was just what his son and daughter were in his eyes.

He set the parchment to one side and got into bed. As he lay down and closed his eyes, Severus couldn't help but think that he was in for a wild ride over the next few years as he raised the twins in secret away from the wizarding world.

But the scary part was, he was looking forward to it.

Ω

**As promised, here it is! Harry and Isabelle, or should I say Henricus and Ilaria have arrived in Italy and are safely in the care of their grandmother. The next few chapters are going to be pretty exciting, but we are also going to be going to a bit of a time jump between the twins as nearly a year old to when they are three. I thought about going through the early years gradually, but I am very anxious to develop the twin's characters so I decided to forgo that, so stay tuned and as always...happy reading everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

_Three and a half years later….._

Three year old Ilaria hurried as fast as her short legs would carry her down the beach, her long curly dark hair blowing in the breeze behind her as she tried to match her brother's speed. Henricus was already a few yards ahead of her as his legs were a bit longer and his pace a bit faster.

"Henry wait!" she called out in her childish voice and at the sound her brother slowed and looked back at her. "Come on Ria!" he called. "It might be gone by the time we get there."

The twins were hurrying down the beach to see the nest of a large sea turtle. Henricus had found it a little while ago when he had come out on the terrace in the afternoon.

Their grandmother didn't like them going out by themselves, but if there was one thing three year old Henry was good at, it was breaking the rules and getting his sister to do the same. He knew he would get a lecture from Papa when he returned in the evening, but that was in the evening, now was the time for fun.

Finally Ilaria caught up to her brother who grabbed her hand and pulled her down the beach towards a small black form.

It wasn't far from the house, but as they got closer, the large black rock that Henry had found it by came into view.

Henry pulled his sister to a stop a few feet away from it and then turned to her, putting a finger to his lips and gesturing for her to be quiet, the brunette twins crept forward.

It was a beautiful day. Although Sicily must have been an island blessed with perpetual sunshine as every day the golden rays would kiss the azure blue waves. It was warm all year round, which unfortunately created mischievous behavior in three year old children.

Turning, Ilaria could see the villa not too far behind them, they had always been told to stay within sight of the house at all times and to never stray too far from their grandmother. Being the children that they were though, they could not help but explore.

Their father was only around in the evenings as he had told them that he was in England at work every day with Uncle Tony. But every evening around five, he would always come back and tell the two great stories of his work with Alastair Cambridge.

During the morning, Grandma would teach them, the twins were showing incredible proficiency and at three years of age were already reading and writing. Basic things, but it was far more than any other child their age would have been doing.

Their accidental magic had begun showing as well. It happened whenever they were sad or frightened or angry, and while that didn't happen often, the results had the potential to be catastrophic.

Once Ilaria had slipped and fallen and every window in the house had shattered when she had started crying. Thankfully their grandmother had all the glass back in place by the time their father and uncle had returned from England, but the incident was brought to Severus's ears.

He had pulled Grandma aside and there was a whispered conversation with Uncle Tony behind closed doors. Of course Henricus and Ilaria had heard everything with their little ears pressed to the cracks between the door and the frame.

Papa had said something about starting their training early and Uncle Tony had agreed. Grandma was silent for a long time before she asked Papa if he was sure and he had said yes.

Henry and Ria had run away of course before they were caught and pretended to be asleep when Papa came in to kiss them goodnight, but the twins had a feeling that he knew they had been there.

The next day before he had left for work with Uncle Tony, he had pulled them onto his knees and told them carefully that they were going to start learning magic and that Nonna was going to teach them.

Emilia had taught at a magic primary school back when Claudius was alive and was more than qualified to teach the twins. She still had several practice wands that were good for the use of young children. And so they had started practicing.

At first nothing happened but slowly but surely after a lot of work and many tears because both were afraid after many setbacks that they would never be as good a wizard as Papa or Uncle Tony or Nonna, they began to improve. It was very slow and grueling work and after about two hours Henry and Ria's attention began to wane, but after it was finished they always went to the beach with Nonna and went swimming.

That was what they were doing now.

It was a warm day and the twins had been told not to wander off, but of course they didn't listen. Ria had always been the one to make her twin see sense, but there was a limit to listening to a three year old. Especially when there was an interesting discovery such as turtles and eggs to be made.

Still holding Ria's hand, Henry tiptoed around the rock and pointed wordlessly to the nest that had been nestled in the shadow of the rock. Ria gasped in delight.

The nest was comprised of driftwood from the sea, and green rotting seaweed. The smell was potent, but neither of the twins notices it as they got down on their hands and knees, looking with fascination at the cream colored oval shapes resting at the bottom of the nest.

There were six of them and already there were some starting to crack.

"Are they gonna hatch?" Ilaria asked in Italian. Henry nodded still looking at the eggs.

One of the biggest things their Nonna had wanted to teach them almost over magic was language. They had started learning French and Italian as soon as they could speak. She would switch back and forth between dialects throughout the day and when she spoke to them in either language, no matter what, they had to respond in said language.

Papa spoke Italian too, as well as French and German. He had worked in those places before. And it stood to reason that the twins wanted to be just like their father.

All of a sudden, the call of a seagull made Henry look up. There were about twelve of them, circling the nest from high above him. One of them landed a few feet from the next and cocked his head at the twins, almost as if to say, _Mine?_

"Go on, shoo!" Henry said waving his arms at the bird who promptly flew off out to sea, in the direction of some Muggle bathers who were just coming up the sand toward their picnic basket. Henry watched them with interest before he returned to his sister and the eggs.

It was early June and already the beach was inhabited by a variety of people. Half were witches and wizards like Nonna, Uncle Tony and Papa, but the rest were Muggles.

Henry had been fascinated by the Muggles since Papa had told them that there were people among them who couldn't do magic like they could.

_"__Why not Papa?" Ria had asked causing Severus to sigh._

_ "__I don't know Ilaria, but I want you and your brother to keep one thing in mind. Just because we can do magic and they can't doesn't make you better than them, it just makes you different. And in the end, those differences don't really matter. We're all human and we all have the same blood running in our veins. If you learn nothing else from me, remember that, because it is the most important thing that I will ever teach you._

_Never ever look down on someone because you can do something and they can't. We all function in the same way, we all eat and sleep and get angry and cry. When it comes to the basics, there is no difference between those who have magic and those who don't. Never forget that."_

And the twins didn't. There were times when they had been on the beach with their grandmother and had played with Muggle children in the surf.

For some reason, Daddy didn't want them to stay out for too long and whenever they asked him way, all he said was that he would tell them when they were older. So for now they had to wait.

"Henry look!"

The three year old who was looking more and more like his father every day with his high aristocratic features and smirk of a smile, turned back to where his sister was point and gasped with delight as he saw that one of the eggs had begun to crack.

Then poking through the thin clear membrane, a tiny head appeared then a pair of little green flippers and soft shell that was still forming.

Ilaria and Henricus watched in awe as the baby turtles proceeded to push its way feebly out of the nest and down to the shore a few feet away where it disappeared into the small waves. They were both pleased to see that the sea gulls had vanished and would not be bothering them any time soon.

The twins stayed there for the next hour, watching as one by one, the little turtles cracked open their eggs and pulled themselves down the beach and into the sea where they would return to their mother and grow up.

"And pray tell, what did I tell you two to do?" asked a very angry voice.

The twins winced in turn and slowly turned around, to find their grandmother standing there glaring at them. Her hands were on her hips and her expression was thunderous. Henricus gulped, he had never seen her this angry before. There would be no getting out of this one.

Ria knew it too, because before he knew it, she had burst out: "It was all Henry's idea!"

"Regardless of whose idea it was, do you know how badly you scared me? What would have happened if someone had come along? You asked to play on the back patio and I agreed, but I told you that you were to go no more than ten feet from the terrace, now why didn't you listen to me?" she asked sternly.

"I got bored," Henry mumbled guiltily. "So I went exploring and found this turtle's nest. I wanted to show Ria."

"So I went with him," the little girl mumbled without looking up at her grandmother. Emilia took her hands off her hips and folded them across her chest instead, trying to hide the fact that they had been shaking. When she had come back to the terrace after what seemed like a minute inside, and found the twins gone, she had almost had a heart attack. She knew that they couldn't have gone far and there were wards around the property so no unsavory types would get in, but that didn't help.

The twins were far too inquisitive for their own good, and they were going to be four in July. Even more mischievous then they were now. They were going to give her premature grey hair.

"Are you going to tell Papa?" Ilaria asked looking up at her grandmother with her big green eyes. Emilia sighed. "I have to," she said to her grandchildren and the twins groaned. They hated it when Papa got upset. He always got this sad look on his face, a look at three years old Ilaria hated. She loved her Papa and she didn't like to see him sad.

She determined right then that she was going to keep herself and Henricus out of trouble for the rest of the day and that they would help Nonna however, they could.

"Come along then," Emilia said sternly, and Ria reached down, pulling Henry by his hand to his feet. His expression was sheepish and a little guilty, but Ilaria knew that by the following day he would be up to no good again and would probably get her involved in it too.

But not today he wouldn't.

When they got back to the house, Emilia sat the twins down with their reading books at the mahogany table by the open bay window that let in the sea breeze and gave them strict instructions not to move until she told them to.

Determined to do just that, Ria opened up her reading book, took hold of her practice wand and got to work. She could say all of the words in the book as some were too difficult but she and Henry did their best.

"I'm bored," Henry moaned after an hour of reading.

"Nonna said not to do anything else until she told us to move," Ria replied, not even looking up from her book.

Henry had a knack for talking his way out of anything, just like his father, and Ria employed the method too, but only when it suited her. Henry used it for everything, and only fifty percent of the time was he ever successful. Ria always liked watching him get in trouble with Daddy when he did. The rest of the time, she helped get him out.

It wasn't one sided though. Henry was always there to defend her. He was the one who had calmed her down after the shattering window incident when she had run and was scared. It was he who had coaxed her out of her hiding place with sweets and promises that it would get better, and she had believed him.

"Henry, if Nonna catches us we'll be in big trouble. Sit down and I'll read to you," Ria said in the same commanding tone her Nonna used with Uncle Tony. Henry grumbled but came back and sat down next to her.

Ria nodded and proceeded to read to her brother for the rest of the afternoon. At one point Henry fell asleep but Ilaria didn't notice. She loved to read, almost more then she liked to do anything else, except spend time with her family.

All afternoon she sat there, swinging her legs and reading, practicing her spells with her wand. The practice wands had been registered to her grandmother with the Italian Ministry so there was no chance of it getting back to England or to the man that Papa disliked.

Ria hadn't been able to do much with it, at first, all she could do was make sparks fly from it, but after a few tearful please to Nonna and whispered reassurances that with practice she would get better, Ria and Henry gradually began to improve.

Severus had been so pleased with their progress that he had been talking to their grandmother about enrolling them in a primary day school when they turned five, unfortunately that was before the preschool for magical children had closed two years earlier for lack of new blood and the twins were left without a school to go to again.

Ilaria glanced down at her brother and a sneaky grin crossed her face before she put her wand down and used her magic to draw a moustache and whiskers on his face.

Papa had told them that accidental magic at their age was common and that they shouldn't be afraid of it. But after her own accidental magic had broken all the windows in the house, Ria learned that if she concentrated very hard on her magic and on nothing else, she could get it to do what she wanted. And the result was her brother's painted face. Of course it made her tired but it was worth it.

Sure enough, when he woke up a few minutes later, the effect was hilarious and she burst into giggles. Unfortunately, Nonna also took that moment to walk back in and dismissed the house elf she had been using to keep an eye on them. And when she saw her grandson, she gasped.

"Henricus Severus Andronicus, what on earth have you done to your face?" Henry dove for the window so he could see his reflection. He wheeled on his twin, face twisted in disbelief and surprised anger. Ilaria smiled at him smugly.

"That's for getting us in trouble," she said with an angelic grin. Henry could tell and she could almost see the wheels turning in his brain as he contemplated ways that he could get her back. Meanwhile Nonna was standing there, hands on her hips, glaring at her granddaughter.

"Henry, go wash your face," she said. The sable haired boy slipped off of his chair and after glaring at his twin one final time, stalked out of the room. When he was gone Nonna turned to her.

"Ilaria Emilia, what have I told you about using your magic on your brother?" She asked sternly. Ria tried to adopt a contrite expression but it was hard. Her brother wasn't the only one that could be sneaky after all.

"You said to only use magic in practice and not for things that are for personal gain," she rattled off flawlessly.

"I did, and do you know what that means?" Ria scrunched up her small face as she tried to remember. "Don't just use it to get what you want?"

"Correct," Emilia said, her scowl fading somewhat. She sighed and sat down across from Ria, muttering in Italian. The almost four year old didn't catch all of it, something about how they were going to give her more grey hair then she already had.

Finally, she looked up and her smile returned. "Don't do it again, or I will have to inform your father." Ria flinched and nodded. There was nothing she hated worse than having her father upset with her. She nodded again, her expression more genuine this time.

"Good, now go wash up for dinner. Your father and uncle will be home soon." Ria nodded and was about to hurry from the room, when Nonna called her back.

"And be sure you put on something nice, your father is bringing home a special guest for dinner."

Ω

Severus slowly placed the flowers on the ground beneath the headstone in the meadow outside of Godric's Hollow. It was customary. He always came once a month to mark the grave with fresh flowers.

On the tombstone were engraved the words: _Lily Evans Potter, Beloved Wife and Mother._

At first, the Potions Master had shed tears, but after a few more visits, they had dried up completely. He had gone through a lot of emotions in the past few years and now that the twins were about to turn four in a month, he felt better about leaving them behind.

Next to Lily's tombstone was James Potter's and just after that were the smaller tombstones of Isabelle and Harry Potter.

After nearly three years of searching, the wizarding world, Albus Dumbledore included, sadly declared the twins to be dead. Neither hide nor hair had been found of them up and down across Europe. No, Isabelle and Harry Potter were gone and magical England would mourn them, but their story ended there.

Minerva had kept him apprised of all the events that had taken place since that fateful night in Godric's Hollow nearly four years ago. Things had been pretty quiet since then.

"I guess it's that time again," Severus said as he faced Lily's grave. The Potions Master no longer shed tears like he used to. But it was still a wound he was suffering from. It had been nearly four years since Lily's death and yet coming here was still painful.

He glanced around before speaking again and quickly put up a few silencing wards. You couldn't be too careful these days as far as he was concerned. Severus allowed himself a small private smile as he glanced at Harry and Isabelle's headstones. There were only a few people who knew that the Potter twins were living a safe and happy life, and they were people he trusted wholeheartedly. No one besides that group of people knew that the Potter, or rather the Andronicus twins were almost four years old and practicing their magic.

His son and daughter were exceptionally bright. He could already tell how powerful they were going to be. But that made it even more imperative to keep them under wraps until they were older. Although now that the Potter twins had been declared dead after a nationwide three year search had turned up nothing, he was relieved. It was nice to not have to look over his shoulder all the time.

"You would be so proud of them Lily," he said. "Henry and Ria have become beautiful and intelligent children. Just like you. Of course their also very sneaky, but they have to have something of mine other than just my hair color." He uttered a choke laugh, trying not to let his emotions overcome him.

"I miss you Lily," he whispered. "There are times when I don't think I can do this, but then I remember what you probably would have said to me if you were here." He paused as he thought back on the memories.

"But more than anything, I want them to do you proud. You deserved more than James Potter. Sometimes I wish I had stayed longer that day at Gringotts. Maybe you would have told me. Then again, I'm not sure I would have believed you," he said chuckling. "I guess what I want to say is I wish you were here, but I'm doing my best. Every day they do something that reminds me of you, especially Ria."

He sat there for a while longer, but there seemed to be nothing further that he could say, so with a resigned sigh, he got up and returned to work.

Severus had no sooner got back to lab when he was accosted by his cousin. After taking that ridiculous slide down to the bottom of the ravine, he would never get used to that, he had donned his white uniform coat and stepped into the laboratory before Antonius pigeonholed him.

"Where the hell have you been? You're not gonna believe this!" His cousin sounded out of breath and Severus watched him with amusement until the Italian calmed down.

"What's going on?" he asked when his cousin could breathe normally again. Instead of answering, Antonius hurried over to their work desks and retrieved three letters before thrusting them into Severus's hands before turning to his own.

"The results came from our gold cauldron examination!" He burst out. "They literally came five minutes ago. I was hoping you would get here soon so we could open them!"

Severus's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

Six weeks ago, he and his cousin had taken the tests to ensure their gold cauldron status. It was a four hour test and Severus was sure he was dehydrated after with how much he had sweated.

He and Antonius had worked together and had come up with a potion that if taken correctly could counteract the effects of the Imperius Curse.

When they had successful administered the potion to the patient and it had worked, there was an uproar among the exam committee and Cambridge himself looked strangely pleased. Severus had been shocked because in the last four years that they had worked with him, Cambridge had never once shown any emotion.

And now here it was, the piece of paper that would determine what they would do for the rest of their lives.

Simultaneously, the cousins broke the seal and ripped open the envelopes before scanning the parchment. Their reactions were well times as well.

Severus sucked in a breath at the same time that Antonius began yelling Italian. He threw his parchment in the air and started dancing in the middle of the lab which caused his cousin to go into spasms of laughter.

"Do you know what this means?" He asked as soon as he had regained some control over himself. "It means dear cousin that we have reached the top, we can now work for any potion's Master in the world!"

"Tony would you calm down already? I know it's exciting, but we're not gonna quit here just yet and go looking for work with other masters," Severus said grinning at his cousin.

After reading all of the information on what a gold cauldron recipient entailed, he placed the parchment back on his desk and turned to the second letter. Within a second, his eyebrows had shot up by his hairline and his palms went sweaty. Antonius didn't notice.

ل واحد سيفيروس سناب أندرونيكوس

To one Severus Snape Andronicus

Severus's hands itched to open the letter. It was one he had waited almost six months for and now that he was a gold cauldron recipient he was finally qualified. His fingers strayed to touch the seal before he stopped himself.

No….no here, not now. He and his cousin had just been awarded their gold cauldrons, this was a time for celebration. He didn't want to open it and be disappointed if the result wasn't what he hoped for. Instead he slipped it into his pocket just as Antonius looked up.

"What's that?" the Italian asked curiously. Severus shook his head nonchalantly. "Letter from Minerva," he lied smoothly.

"What's she writing to you for? We're going to see her when we go home tonight.

"Just business I guess."

But it wasn't just business. And the whole rest of the afternoon as the cousins worked side by side, Severus could feel the letter burning a hole in his pocket, screaming to be opened. He couldn't count the number of times his hand twitched towards the pocket of his robes. When this happened though, he would always clench and unclench his fist as he tried to reorient his mind to what he was doing.

Antonius was in a splendid mood the whole rest of the day and didn't even notice his cousin's odd behavior until it was time to leave.

Every day at four thirty in the afternoon, a timer went off in the lab to indicate to whoever was working there that it was time to leave. And like every other afternoon at four thirty, this is exactly what happened, only this time Severus was so preoccupied he didn't even hear it.

He had gone over to his desk to rearrange some paper work and when the timer went off, his too high strung nerves caused him to toss the papers into the air effectively decorating the floor with white parchment.

Antonius who had taken off his gloves saw his cousin's reaction to the noise and doubled over laughing before he hurried over to help him.

"What's with you Sev?" the Italian asked as they gathered the papers and set them on Severus's desk. "You've been on edge all day."

Severus gave a noncommittal grunt but didn't answer, he really didn't feel like explaining himself and he just wanted to get home.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said before his cousin could get another word in. Antonius rolled his eyes before he grabbed his bag from the chair in the corner and the two cousins hurried to the fireplace outside of the lab that was situated in the ravine.

Severus went first.

"The Andronicus Villa Sicily!"

_Merlin, I cannot wait to get home._

Ω

Ria had just put on her favorite dress. It was a pale gold color and very silky so it didn't stick to her if she got hot. It was also easy to play in, which would be nice because the evening when the sun was going down was her favorite time to play on the beach.

There was a knock on the door and she turned just in time to see Henry enter wearing his dress robes. "Come on Ria, Nonna says Papa just got here." There was a big smile on his face and she wondered if he had forgotten the face painting incident from earlier.

Henry held out his arm for her to hold on to. Even though they were not quite four years of age Nonna had trained them well. She had always said that the gentleman was offer the lady his arm, it didn't matter how old they were. And the twins were quite mature for almost four years of age.

They left Ria's room which was just down the hall to the right of the acacia wood staircase.

"Who do you think Papa is going to bring home for supper?" Ria whispered as she and Henry walked to the top of the stairs. Henry shrugged. "I don't know, but it must be someone special for us to have to put nice clothes."

All of a sudden, there was the sound of Uncle Tony's booming voice from downstairs. The twins exchanged glances and huge smiles crossed their small faces before they hurried downstairs to the drawing room. As soon as they entered the room with the massive fireplace, they caught sight of Papa and Uncle Tony sitting on the sofa with Nonna and laughing. They were holding clear glasses of amber liquid and the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable.

"Papa!" The twins cried out simultaneously and flung themselves into their father's arms which barely opened in time to receive them.

He didn't say anything, but Ria could see the big smile that split his face like starlight as he tightened his arms around them. From where her face was pressed into his chest, Ria couldn't see anything, but that didn't matter, she always felt better when she was in her father's arms. He always knew what to say or to do to make her feel better, and even though she knew Henricus would never admit, he felt the same way too.

After about a minute, the two of them pulled back and grinned up at their father. Ria adored her daddy. In her mind, he was the handsomest, kindest bravest man in the world and she knew Henry looked up to him too.

His black eyes sparkled as he smiled at her, and Ria and Henry beamed back. "Were you good for your grandmother today?" He asked, and his voice was deep and quiet. Ria loved it when he told them stories, she would fall asleep listening to the sound of his voice.

They both nodded quickly, but Ria could see that Papa threw a glance at Nonna who gave him a cheeky smile.

"Hey, don't I get a greeting too?" The twins turned at the sound of Uncle Tony's voice and grinned at him before turning to hug him too.

Uncle Tony looked almost exactly like Papa but they didn't have any trouble telling the two apart. Uncle Tony's laugh was unique, she would know it anywhere.

He called them Topolino and Passerotta, which meant little mouse and little sparrow in Italian. Henry didn't really like being called a mouse, Ria loved her title.

"What did you do today?" she asked. Uncle Tony reached over and ruffled her curly hair. "Lots of things, your Papa and I worked with toad saliva."

Both Ria and Henry scrunched up their faces in disgust. Nonna reached over and smacked their uncle upside his head which caused the twins to start giggling.

"When will Minerva reach Aunt Emilia?" Papa asked causing the little girl and boy to frown at the unfamiliar name.

"Any minute now," Nonna said and Papa nodded before reaching out and pulling the twins close to him once more.

"Henry, Ria," he began in English so that they would know he was serious. They talked in all three languages at home, English, Italian and French, but usually English was reserved for more formal times. The twins looked up at their father, eyes wide.

"Someone very special is going to visit tonight, and so I want to two of you to be on your best behavior. Do you understand? No running off down the beach as soon as the meal is over. This person was one of my former teachers and she's very special. I want you to be polite and courteous. Do you understand?"

They nodded in unison. "Yes Papa."

"Good."

Severus had no sooner concluded his speech when the floo roared and another person stepped through in a haze of green powder and smoke.

Henry and Ria looked up to see a tall woman step out of the fireplace. She was dressed in long dark blue robes like Papa, except she had a pointy hat on small spectacles on the edge of her nose. Her hair was in a tight bun and she had a stern expression on her face.

But as soon as she saw Severus, her expression lifted into a smile, as their father got up and strode forward.  
"Severus, there you are. It is so good to see you." The twins watched in surprise as this strange new face enfolded their father in a warm hug which he returned. They talked for a few minutes and she repeated the action on Uncle Tony when he stood up to greet her.

And then she turned her eyes on them and her expression changed from one of merriment to wonder.

"Oh Severus…..they've gotten so big. Has it really been three years?"

"Next month yes," Their father said proudly and the lady beamed. Severus turned to his children and beckoned them forward.

"Henricus, Ilaria, come here there is someone I wish to introduce you to."

Ria felt a little bit nervous at the sight of the imposing woman but Papa had said to be polite so she did. She reached down and took Henry hand and the two of them walked over to the three adults.

"Henry, Ria, I would like you to meet Professor Minerva McGonagall. She was one of my old teachers at school," their father said.

Henry let go of his sister's hand and bowed low like his grandmother had taught him and Ria followed suit by dipping into a low curtsy. She grasped the edges of her gold dress so it fanned out like wings when she bent her legs. Both brother and sister stayed like that for a minute before standing up straight as one and offering Professor McGonagall a bright smile.

"Severus, what polite children you've raised," she commented, her smiling face was even brighter than the twins.

"None of that was my doing Minerva. You can thank my aunt for that. She groomed them into the perfect little lady and gentlemen. I didn't do anything," Severus said although he sounded inordinately pleased.

"You see, you see?" Nonna said from couch where she was sitting with Uncle Tony and smiling at McGonagall. "You would be lost without me. You would have grey hair if you had tried to raise them in that shoe box you called a flat."

Minerva began chuckling. "I take things have been going well then?" Severus smiled at her in return. "Very well, but we can discuss how well it is over dinner. Aunt Emilia is it ready?"

"It is indeed."

"Very well then, shall we retire to the terrace?"

Ω

Henry and Ria loved eating outside. Usually when Papa and Uncle Tony came home from work they would always eat in doors with the windows open, it was only when they had guests over that they were allowed to eat outside.

But as the six of them tucked into their meals, Ria had to remind herself to keep eating as she kept looking out at the sunset and the waves lapping at the seashore.

Henry nudged her foot and gestured to his plate to communicate to his sister that they were supposed to behave. She picked up her fork and dug into the lasagna, hoping no one had noticed.

Unfortunately, Nonna, Papa, Uncle Tony and the lady called Professor McGonagall were all conversing in French. It was a language that Ria and Henry were still learning so they couldn't follow what was going on completely. They caught a few words and phrases, but after about fifteen minutes, they gave up completely and kept eating.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ria asked finally. Henry shrugged. "I don't know, but it must be important if they're talking in French."

By this time, the sun had disappeared completely and the star had begun to emerge against the back drop of a navy blue sky. The waves were still lapping at the seashore and Ria had long since stopped eating to take it all in with her brother. The two of them had left the table and sat down on the edge of the marble terrace looking out at the waves and the dark sky, the murmur of the adults in the background.

Soon Ilaria felt her eyelids begin to droop and she leaned her head against Henry's shoulder. He didn't shake her off like he would have normally, but he didn't say anything either. They just sat there.

Pretty soon, their father noticed their tired positions, because he called out in Italian: "Henricus, Ilaria, why don't the two of you go on upstairs to bed. You both looked tired." Surprisingly, the twins didn't argue.

Linny appeared and took them both by the hands before apparating them both upstairs and helping them get ready for bed.

Unfortunately, as soon as she was in her night gown and Linny had tucker her in, Ria found herself wide awake. She groaned and hit the pillow with her small fist.

Why did that always happen? She would be so sleepy out in public with other people and then the minute she would get into bed, she would be suddenly wide awake.

And why was it so bloody hot in here?

The brunette threw back the silk sheets and slid down off the large four poster bed, hurrying to the window to open it to let some of the ocean breezes in.

She had no sooner put a hand on the silver latch to open the glass, when there was a small tap on the door.

"Come in," Ria called, thinking it would be Papa to come kiss her goodnight. So she was surprised when the door opened to reveal Henry.

"I couldn't sleep," he said almost sheepishly. Ria finally pushed open the window to let the breeze in and turned to face her brother.

"Me neither."

She sat down on the window seat and her twin came over to sit across from her. She pushed the window open a little further so she and her brother could lean out and get some more breeze. It surprised her therefore when she heard soft voices drifting up from the terrace that below. Voices that were now speaking English again.

The twins found that if they listened carefully and tuned out the sounds of the waves, they could hear everything that was being said.

They turned to face each other at the same time, sneaky little grins crossing their faces as they came to the realization. They knew each other so well they didn't have to say anything, all they did was rest their little elbows on the window sill and keep very still to hear what was happening downstairs.

"I talked to Albus today," Professor McGonagall said. The clinking of dishes and silverware stopped as the other three adults turned to her.

"And?" Severus asked as he swirled his glass of firewhiskey. There was a pause before the teacher continued.

"He has accepted it finally. The Potter twins have been declared dead and wizarding Britain is moving on from the loss. Their names have been erased from the school ledger."

Uncle Tony gave a small cheer and from the clinking, it sounded like he had knocked his glass against Papa's. Ria remembered that they did that sometimes when they were happy about something. She wondered why and who the Potter twins were. She could tell from Henry's quizzical look that her brother was just as confused, but they kept listening.

"What do you think will happen now Minerva?" Papa asked.

"Wizarding Britain will carry on the way it was before the prophecy was ever issued. Everyone believes Voldemort is dead."

"You don't though?" Nonna asked.

"No, there was no body when Albus and Hagrid arrived at the Potter cottage in Godric's Hollow on Halloween. Only a wand and a pair of robes. No Voldemort is not dead, he is merely severely weakened and one day he will make his return.

Ria glanced at her brother. "Who's Vol….Volde…..Vol….de….mort?" she asked after a few unsuccessful tries at saying his name.

Henry shook his head and put a finger to his lips to get his sister to be quiet.

Down at the table though, no one seemed to have any difficulty remaining silent.

"You are sure of this Minerva?" Emilia asked. The deputy headmistress of Hogwarts nodded somberly.

"I am afraid that Albus is going into cardiac arrest trying to come up with a solution to the problem now that the ones who are supposed to deal with it are "dead." She made air quotes around the world and smiled at Severus who returned it.

"What are your plans regarding Henricus and Ilaria Severus?" Minerva asked the potions master. Severus swirled the whiskey in his glass and took a sip before answering. "I am still unsure. Now that Tony and I have received our gold cauldrons, we are able to work at any institute in the world. We simple need to wait for offers to be made."

There was a murmuring of agreement from the adults.

"I was planning to send them to a day school in a year or two, but as there isn't one in Italy any more, I am unsure of where to look."

"Hmmm," Minerva mused. "I will give the dilemma some thought, and let you know after I do some research."

"That would be very helpful thank you."

There was another long pause as the twins strained to listen in. Most of the conversation had been pretty boring except for that mention of Voldemort, and even then that had disappeared after a few seconds.

"Maybe we should go to bed now," Henry suggested, covering his mouth to hide a yawn. Ilaria nodded and said goodnight to her brother, watching as he slipped out of the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

Ria jumped back into bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin, gazing up at the magical stars above her bed that Papa had enchanted to glow gently and move so it would look like the stars were actually moving.

She smiled as she watched them and a few minutes later, she had drifted off to sleep, all memories of Voldemort forgotten.

Down on the terrace again, the conversation was still in full swing. Severus and Antonius had made sure to tell Emilia and Minerva earlier about their status as gold cauldron recipients and both older women had been very pleased with them.

Every so often though, Severus would discreetly reach down and slip his hand into his pocket and feel for the letter he had placed there. The letter that he had refused to open until he was alone to see what it said.

Whenever his aunt or cousin brought up work prospects for the future, he felt himself begin to break out in a cold sweat because he had a very important prospect for that sitting in his pocket begging him to open it.

"Severus, I don't suppose that when the time comes and the twins are older, that you would consider sending them to Hogwarts would you?" Minerva asked tentatively. She had been hesitant to broach the subject with her former student given his memories of the place and the fact that he still didn't know what to make of Albus.

"I'm not sure Minerva. I need to be completely convinced on the matter that Dumbledore believes they are dead before I will consider sending them. I haven't completely written Hogwarts off as it is one of the best schools in Europe, but I have yet to make a decision.

"There is still plenty of time to deliberate," Emilia broke in casting her nephew a comforting glance. Minerva nodded before reaching over and squeezing his hand.

"That is very true there is still nearly seven years to decide. Take the time that you need and if you should decide to send them there, I will be the one sending the letters and making the house visits, I will make sure that Albus doesn't see these particular letters."

Severus smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

Ω

After the candles had been snuffed out, the dishes collected and goodbyes said, Minerva flooed back to England with the promise that she would be in touch.

Severus said his goodnights to his aunt and cousin before taking the stairs two at a time to the second floor. He stopped in to kiss Ria and Henry goodnight. They were already sound asleep from the day and all the excitement of having a guest over so he didn't stay very long.

Finally, he slipped into his room and shut the door, locking it firmly before he lit the fire and sat down on one of the plush blue velvet chairs in front of it.

He knew he couldn't delay it any longer.

Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter marked with the beautiful aristocratic seal of a sphinx.

He felt his breath hitch as he carefully broke the seal and pulled the parchment out. No….this wasn't parchment, it was papyrus, a form of paper that was even older then parchment.

Severus could feel his heart pounding as he brought his eyes to the first line on the page. This was it.

_To One Severus Snape Andronicus_

_It is the pleasure of the Mubarak Institute of Ancient Elixirs to offer you a fulltime apprenticeship in our research department. We have followed your accomplishments serving under Master Antonio Romano and then again under Master Alastair Cambridge where you obtained your silver and gold cauldrons. At only twenty six years of age, this is a very impressive feat for one so young. When you wrote to us with your application we could not accept on the basis of your not having received your gold cauldron and we accept only the best. As one who has served under Alastair Cambridge, you are certainly that. _

_We have also received your letter that should you be accepted you would still have the matter of your children. We wish for you to know that the Mubarak Institute has its own primary school for exceptional magical children and as you have already informed us that your children are learning and practicing magic at the tender age of four, they would be ideal candidates for our program. The term for the children begins in September._

_Now to the matter of housing. Like Cambridge, we also house our international apprentices on the Institute grounds and you are no exception. Should you choose to accept this offer, we have arranged that your living arrangements will be somewhat larger so your children will be staying with you._

_We are awaiting your response no later than July 31. We realize that is just under two months away, but we are a priority institute and should you refuse the offer, the next apprentice in line will be taking your place. You should also know that the second piece of papyrus in this letter is a contract which is magically binding. If you should choose to sign it, simply place a drop of your blood on the line at the bottom. This contract is for seven years, during which time you will be required to remain in Egypt. At the end of this term you may reapply for fellowship with the Institute, or you may choose to leave. _

_We hope you consider this offer of acceptance carefully and take adequate time to decide what it is that you wish from this experience._

_Sincerely yours _

نافيد مبارك

_Navid Mubarak_

Severus sat back in the chair. His hands were shaking and he had to verbally remind himself to calm down.

He had been accepted. He couldn't believe it. Aside from Alastair Cambridge. The Mubarak Institute of Ancient Elixirs was the cream of the crop. He had long since admired the potions brewers of the Middle East, Egypt particularly, as their potions and elixirs were ancient and legendary. It was a school that had been around since the time of the pharaohs.

And he had been accepted to it.

Severus felt an enormous grin spreading across his face. He had done it. He wasn't even thirty yet and he had received his gold cauldron as well as been accepted to the most ancient house of potions in the world.

He let out a choked disbelieving laugh. This was crazy, absolutely nuts. He had secretly been following the Institute his entire life. Madam Pince had introduced him to them when he had started school. Only the best of the best studied there and Severus felt confident that he had achieved that standard.

He got up, put the letter on the bedside table and began to pace. What was he going to do? He would be insane, absolutely balmy if he were to give up this opportunity.

But what about Henry and Ria?

They would be the only reason he would give this up. Were they ready to go to school? They would be four by the time the school started. The Institute knew this as he had sent a detailed letter six months ago with his application. At the time he had been sure he wouldn't get it. It was a shot in the dark after all.

But here he was six months later, with a huge decision to make. Severus took a deep breath and began to get ready for bed.

He needed to talk to his aunt and see what she thought. Emilia would no doubt insist that he should go. And leaving the twins here wasn't an option. He would be able to visit them, but the Institute had strict policies about international travel. It wasn't like he could just floo home every day like he had done with Cambridge. Plus it would be good for the twins to go to one of the top primary schools in the world. The fact that the Institute started training the children at four was nothing short of astonishing.

He lay down and pulled the sheet up to his chin. Perhaps Emilia would want to come with him. Severus already knew that he wanted this position very badly. Almost more than he had ever wanted anything.

Yes, he would talk to his aunt in the morning and then he would talk to the twins. He understood the Institute's policy on secrecy. All international apprentices were required to be housed on the Institute property, no exceptions. He knew there were some absolutely brilliant things that the Institute worked on, things that were worth millions upon millions of galleons. Potions was a booming industry. It was almost like the Muggle Arms race that he had read up on when he was younger. Each country was vying to have the best.

But the Institute was light years ahead of its time and he wanted to be a part of it. He wanted Henry and Ria to go to school there as it was one of the best in the world.

But he knew he couldn't do this alone. Yes he needed to talk to Emilia. If she didn't think it was a good idea for his children, he would have to refuse. It would be a bitter pill to swallow, but he would do it. He would do anything for Ria and Henry and their happiness was paramount.

With that he snuffed out the candles and the room was bathed in darkness.

The room grew quiet, but Severus's mind was anything but. And he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the golden sands, ancient history, and ethereal mysticism that was Egypt.

**Alright so this is where the story really starts to pick up. I was quite excited to post it. There will no further time jumps in this story, everything else will go as planned. Enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

_"__No."_

_ "__Yes!"_

It was the following afternoon and Antonius had announced that he wanted to take his niece and nephew out for the day.

For Severus, the timing couldn't have been better, as he now had all day to sell his aunt on the idea of moving to Egypt and taking the twins with him. He had cornered her on the terrace, watching the waves roll in and proceeded to hand her the letter which detailed his acceptance to the Institute.

When she had stopped shrieking with excitement, he was able to get her to calm down and tell her what the offer entailed, that if he accepted it, he would be in a magically binding contract and moving to Egypt for seven years, that he would be taking the twins with him, because they had been accepted into the Institute's primary school.

The whole thing had taken about an hour to tell and Severus hadn't sat down the entire time. He had laid out the pros and cons to his aunt and argued his points, but after ten minutes it was easy for Emilia to see that her nephew was trying to convince himself more than he was her.

She let him talk himself out and then held up a hand to interject before he thought of anything else to say.

"Severus," she began, "you came to me with the news that you have been accepted into one of the finest institutes of potions in the world. The Mubarak Institute has been around since ancient times, they were the grand viziers of the pharaohs and served among their private counsels. You would be gone in the head if you were to give this up. I think that you should go."

"But what about Henry and Ria? If I sign that piece of papyrus, I am locked into an unbreakable contract that would last for seven years. Once I become an apprentice of theirs, I am not allowed to leave the country. The only way I could accept is if I were to take Henry and Ria with me. But is that a good idea?"

"What is so bad about it?" Emilia asked. Severus began to pace again.

"I'd be pulling them from the only home they've ever known. They've been here for nearly three years. I don't want to deprive my children of their grandmother."

"But you wouldn't be taking them from here simply for the sake of your work. I know you Severus, you are not that petty. And the Institute's primary school is the best in the world. It's a shame that they don't teach past nine years of age."

"The system would get too muddled then," Severus muttered.

"Exactly," Emilia said calmly. "You told me that this school is only for exceptionally gifted magical children and Henricus and Ilaria are certainly that. This is an incredible opportunity for both of them as well as you. Don't deny them that."

"I never thought of it that way," Severus murmured as he finally sat down next to his aunt on the terrace.

"You didn't, because you were worried about how this move might affect them. And there is nothing wrong with that," Emilia said gently as she reached over and squeezed her nephews hand. "They would be going to a new place and that can be a scary thing for young children. But Henry and Ria are intelligent children, I think they would understand. When they get home with Antonius tonight, you need to tell them.

"But what about you?" Severus questioned. "They won't see you everyday."

Emilia had an odd gleam in her eye as she beheld her nephew. He knew that look, it was the look that she got when she had a plan up her sleeve.

"Do you happen to know how many properties that the Andronicus family owns Severus?" The dark haired former Slytherin frowned slightly and shook his head. Suddenly it dawned on him.

"You wouldn't happen to own a house in Egypt would you Aunt?"

The smug devious smile on Emilia's face had turned into a full blown smirk. "We would dear nephew, we would. The Andronicus family owns property all over Europe. And a few properties in the Middle East. Granted the ones there are not as large as this villa, but it is the home property. Claudius did feel it prudent to invest in some property there several years ago."

Severus found that his grin was mirroring his aunt's and he pulled out a white wicker chair and sat down across from the woman who had been like a second mother to him.

"You would do this for me Aunt Emilia?" he asked softly, and his aunt reached over and squeezed his hand. Her face melded into a soft smile. "Severus I would do anything for you, you're my son. You have been the second your mother asked us to adopt you to keep you safe. You're as much an Andronicus as you are a Snape. Perhaps more so."

She sat back in her chair and took a sip of her drink. "Besides I'm not doing it just for you, I don't want to be deprived of my grandchildren. I know the policy for international apprentices is to be housed on the Institute's property but at least this way I'll get to see my grandchildren on a frequent basis."

"What about Tony?"

"Your cousin has already expressed to me that he wants to remain working for Cambridge, but I know that if you were to tell him of this apprenticeship, you would be immensely happy for you."

"I don't want the twins to be deprived of their uncle either," Severus said softly. Emilia smiled at him. "Lily made the right choice," she murmured offhand. Severus looked up from his hands and stared at his aunt, confused. "About what?"

"She said you would make an incredible father and she was right. I have never been more proud of you."

Severus stared down at his hands. "I just wish she was here."

"I know."

They remained quiet for a moment, just staring out at the waves as they rolled in, the turquoise blue of the water clashing with the stark white of the sea foam.

"You will be sure to tell them when they returned home won't you?" Emilia asked and Severus loosed a sigh that went right down to the tips of his feet.

"Yes, this is an incredible opportunity and I don't want either of them to miss out on it," he said. Emilia gave a sharp nod.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence as Severus wrote a response to the Institute. He didn't send it yet. He wanted to talk to the twins first. Knowing Ilaria as he did though, she would hear the words school and books and be in Egypt in the next second.

It was Henricus that he was a little unsure of. He didn't know his son would take the news. He had never been a boy who threw tantrums when he didn't get away and despite the sneaky mischievous behavior he sometimes displayed, he was a very mature little boy and he constantly looked out for his sister. Something for which Severus was very proud of him for. They were both intelligent children and he had no doubt that they would take the news maturely.

So then why did he feel so nervous?

It was about four thirty in the afternoon when he heard the telltale sound of the fireplace roaring and his son and daughter and cousin stepped onto the hearth laughing.

Antonius was holding a twin's hand in each of his and the sound of Ria and Henry's giggles caused Severus to smile. He loved hearing that. It meant that they were happy. He had been so worried that sooner or later they were going to start asking questions about their mother and he worried that he wouldn't be able to answer him.

"Papa!" The twins cried and ran over to him, throwing themselves into his arms. Severus shoved his worries aside and embraced his son and daughter. As his arms closed around his little boy and girl, he felt his eyes close in relief. He never felt better then when they were in his arms.

Antonius flopped down on the couch, looking exhausted. He absently raised a hand to his forehead and wiped away the sheen of sweat there that was rapidly becoming evident all the while still breathing hard.

"You alright?" Severus asked, looking at his cousin. Antonius grimaced and made a gagging noise all while pulling at the collar of his shirt as he were miming being hanged. Severus tossed back his head and laughed harder while the twins plied him with stories of when Uncle Tony took them inland to Italy and spent time near the Trevi Fountain.

"My bracelet fell off in the fountain Papa. It was the one Nonna gave me," Ilaria started off sounding a bit glum, and Severus was about to scold her for losing the emerald bracelet as it was a bit expensive. But then her eyes brightened up.

"But then Henry took off his shoes and socks and ran around the fountain trying to find it for me. And he did!" Ria showed him her bracelet which was hiding under the sleeve of her dress and looked at her brother with adoring eyes which she only ever showed when he did something for her.

Severus looked down at his son who was looking at his feet. "Is this true Henricus?" The boy nodded without looking up at his father. He seemed to be worrying about whether or not he would get in trouble. Because of this he didn't see Severus's dark eyes shine with pride. His little boy knew how to protect those he cared about. He was going to grow up to be a fine man.

He reached out and lifted his son's chin so he could look into his eyes. Henricus met them a little unwillingly. "While I cannot condone your methods son, thank you for taking care of your sister. I'm very proud of you for that."

The worried look on Henry's face changed to a big bright smile and his chest puffed out slightly. "Well what would Nonna say if she lost the bracelet?" he said a little importantly. Severus gave him a small smile. "She would be displeased, that's for sure."

He looked them over with an appraising eye, noting that the sleeves of Ilaria's dress were dirty and Henry's cuffs could use a washing.

"Why don't the two of you go upstairs and change clothes?" he suggested. Henry nodded and grabbed Ria's hand and pulled her out of the living room. The two raced for the stairs, brother excitedly telling sister, that maybe after dinner they could go to the beach.

As soon as they were gone, Severus stood up and retrieved a glass and the firewhiskey from the cabinet next to the large fireplace. He poured the amber liquid into the glass about a third of the way before closing the bottle and handing the glass to his cousin who gratefully accepted it.

He took a few sips before leaning back onto the couch and giving an exhausted sigh before looking up at his cousin.

"I gotta tell you Sev, you've got good kids. But do they ever run out of energy?" At this Severus started to laugh because he knew how high strung Henry and Ria could be.

"They did a number on you didn't they?" he asked as he sat back down next to his cousin. Tony gave an exhausted nod. "I'm not having kids till I'm good and ready, because I'd have a death wish having one much less two."

Severus chuckled at his cousin. He knew Tony didn't mean it, quite the opposite in fact. He loved spending time with his niece and nephew. His smile turned to a grimace as he thought about what he had to tell his cousin.

He opened his mouth to start in on that, but was interrupted when Emilia walked into the room.

"Severus, this letter just arrived for you," she said and handed him the message before greeting Antonius with a kiss on the cheek. He smiled at his mother and turned back to the glass of firewhiskey.

Severus glanced down at the inscription on the letter and the return address and felt his pulse rate accelerate when he saw that it was from the Mubarak Institute.

He got up and walked over to the large open bay window. Using his thumb nail, he slit open the top of the envelope and pulled out the thick sheet of papyrus contained within. The writing was much the same as it was before.

ل واحد سيفيروس سناب أندرونيكوس

_To One Severus Snape Andronicus:_

_This secondary offer of admission is to inform you that all international apprentices are invited to attend a special orientation beginning the first of August in order for them to understand in more detail what is expected of them as apprentices of the Institute. In this manner, you will be shown around the Institute grounds, introduced to the Potions Masters and have an opportunity to ask any and all pertaining questions._

_For those international apprentices who will be bringing children such as yourself, there will also be an orientation for said pupils. Please understand that this school is only for the children of pupils who are coming from different parts of Egypt or for those apprentices who have children who live in other countries such as yourself. The primary school features some of Egypt's best teachers and are world renowned for their knowledge and skill. _

_This orientation is a month long and begins on August 5. We await your response in attending this event and we highly recommend it as it will make the transition process for each child smoother and more enjoyable. _

_Sincerely yours_

نافيد مبارك

_Navid Mubarak_

Severus rubbed his hand across his chin as he considered what the Institute was offering him.

If he and the twins left in August which was a month and half away, it would cut even more into their time here.

He didn't deny that he was itching to go upstairs and sign himself to the Institute. But he couldn't do that without first seeing what the twins thought. It was their life too and he wouldn't sign it away to something that they weren't comfortable with.

"What's that you're holding?"

Severus jerked like a marionette on strings. He had forgotten that Antonius was still in the room. He turned to his cousin.

"Its….ah…an offer of an apprenticeship," he said glancing back at the Italian sitting on the couch with a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. At his words though, Antonius sat up and grinned in a surprised manner.

"Sev, that's great where is it?" Severus bit the inside of his mouth and then decided to hell with it, he was going to find out anyway.

"It's to the Mubarak Institute in Egypt," he replied almost as if bracing himself for his cousin's reaction. There was a long silence in which Severus was gritting his teeth and waiting for a response, but when none came, he turned back to his cousin.

Antonius looked like he was about to have a coronary. He finally put the glass of alcohol down on the table with a slap, nearly spilling the amber liquid everywhere before he looked at his cousin with disbelieving eyes.

"In Egypt?" he asked finally although his voice sounded a bit hoarse. "The oldest one in the world that most potions masters would sell their souls to get into? That one?"

Severus grimaced before nodding while staring at the floor.

"How…..in the hell…..did you get in there?" he asked. Severus knew his cousin was in shock and the question wasn't meant as an insult so he didn't take offense.

"I applied a few months before taking the examinations for our gold cauldron. In fact I believe I mentioned that I was going to do this. You laughed and said that you wished me luck because most potions masters no matter how talented or intelligent had a snowballs chance in hell of getting in there," Severus said calmly, his lips twitching in amusement at the memory.

"I did?"

"Yes, you did, but I decided I was going to try anyway, because really what did I have to lose? And I got in," Severus said somewhat proudly as he pocketed the follow up letter that the Institute had sent him.

He returned and sat back down on the couch next to his cousin. Antonius was looking at him with a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

"Sev….that's phenomenal! You're gonna accept it right?"

When his cousin didn't answer right away, the incredulous look on the Italian's face grew even more acute.

"I still have to talk to Henry and Ria, they might not want to go," Severus mumbled staring down at the letter in his hands which was lit by the afternoon glow from the bay window. His cousin's expression softened.

"I think if you explain to them that this is a great opportunity for them and you, they'll understand," he said.

"But you won't get to see them that often," Severus objected. Antonius threw back the last of the firewhiskey and gave Severus a grin.

"Sev, if I wanted to, I could see Henry and Ria every day. And I'll probably come to Egypt and do just that. I imagine that mother is going to go with you?" he asked.

Severus nodded. "She's going to commute back and forth because she still has business here, but she said she wants to be near the twins."

"There you go! So what are you worried about?" Antonius asked and Severus stifled the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes his cousin was so easy going it was annoying.

"Tony this is the only home they have ever known. Is it really a good idea to take them away from all of that?" Antonius shrugged.

"Well why don't you ask them?"

Ω

"Henry, Ria can you come down here for a moment?"

Ilaria glanced up from her spell book at her brother. After they had gotten dressed, Henry had come to his sister's room and they had quietly sat down for an afternoon of reading to make up for what they had missed that afternoon with their uncle.

At the sound of Papa's voice, the twins exchanged glances. "Is something wrong?" Henry asked. Ria shrugged. "I don't know, let's go find out."

She grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him out of the room.

"I'll race you!" Henry shouted just as they had exited the room. "Hey that's not fair!" Ria cried as she raced after her brother, lifting her longs skirts high so she didn't trip. They were only allowed to wear muggle clothes when they went to the beach or were in a public setting so no one would think it strange.

The duo raced down the stairs, Ria nearly tripping twice, her laughter coming in loud gasps. Henry shrieked with laughter as they skidded the last few feet into the sitting room where their uncle and father were.

"I won!" Henry shouted gleefully, but then modified his tone when he saw his father was looking at them with an amused but questioning expression. Ria was a few seconds behind her brother.

"No fair, you cheated!" she argued. But father cut through the revelry with one firm expression.

"Come outside with me you two, we need to talk," he said getting up off the couch and taking hold of their hands. Ria frowned at Papa before turning her gaze on Uncle Tony to see if there was anything wrong, but he just gestured for them to go with their father.

"Go on," he said.

Shrugging, the twins took their father's proffered hands and followed him outside onto the marble terrace. Instead of sitting down at the table though he led Henry and Ria down onto the said where they started off down the seashore, watching the waves roll in and feeling the sun on their faces.

"Are you okay Papa?" Henry asked, looking up at his father after a few minutes of silent walking.

"Yes, Henricus, but there is something that I need to tell you," Severus said slowly wondering how he should broach the subject.

Finally, they ended up walking by a beached log that must have rolled in from the waves long ago and was now as dry as a bone. Severus sat down atop it and Henry and Ria sat down next to him.

They exchanged glances. They had never seen Papa this serious, something must have been very wrong. For a moment, Ria wondered if it had something to do with Mama and why she was never around.

"I'm going to tell the two of you something and I don't want you to get upset because if you don't want to do it, then we won't."

"Did we do something wrong?" Henry asked. Severus shook his head smiling a little at his son. "No Henry."

"Then why are you sad?" Ria asked.

"I'm not sad Ilaria, but there is something very important I need to tell you." The twins nodded waiting.

Severus sighed and pulled the letter from his pocket. He stared out at the seashore and waves for a few minutes before speaking again. The twins began to fidget.

"The two of you are going to be four years old next month," Papa began and the twins nodded. They were excited. After all, they weren't babies anymore. Papa had said so.

"And then you will be old enough to go to school," he continued. The twins exchanged excited glances. Ria loved to read and Papa had already said that when they were older she and Henry would go to school. She didn't know when, but Papa's words made her excited, were they actually ready?

"When Papa?" Henry asked excitedly.

"The week after your birthday. But it won't be in Italy." Papa paused here, he looked unsure and Henry and Ria exchanged glances. Because they were twins they had always been more in tune with each other than anyone else. Ria somehow always knew what Henry was thinking and vice versa.

"Where….where is the school Papa?" Ria asked tentatively. Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, praying they would react favorably.

"It's in Egypt, which is a long way from here. We would have to leave Italy."

There was silence for a long while and when Severus looked back at his son and daughter, he found them looking not at him, but at each other. He never really understood the connection that they had.

"What about Nonna?" Henry asked. "Will we never see her again?"

"No!" Severus said forcefully, and then calmed himself and amended his tone. "No, Nonna would be coming with us."

At this news, the serious looks on their faces brightened into smiles. Ria's small face scrunched up in concentration. "You're….you're coming too….right Papa?"

"Of course!" Severus exclaimed, drawing them close to him. "I've been offered a job there, you wouldn't be going alone. I wouldn't let you, I would miss you too much."

Henry smiled. But a few seconds later, he frowned again. "What about Uncle Tony? Would he come with us?"

"No, Uncle Tony wants to keep working in England."

Ria looked at her twin again and held his gaze for a long moment, he nodded and she turned back to her father.

"Do you want to go to Egypt Papa?" she asked and Severus blinked. Of all the questions that he had expected his son and daughter to ask, that was certainly not one of them. But then again, there was a part of Lily in them. His twins were extremely intelligent and the intelligence had come from their mother. Still it never ceased to surprise him. He took both of their hands, looking at them carefully in the eyes.

"Yes Ria, I do."

The little girl glanced at her brother and gave a sharp nod.

"Okay," she said.

And that was the end of it.

Ω

A month and a half later Severus and the twins found themselves standing in the living room with their suitcases saying goodbye to Antonius and Emilia. There were tears on the part of the elder, but Severus gently reminded her that she would see the twins the following week as she was planning to floo back and forth between Sicily and Egypt. Tony was far more exuberant, and made sure that his niece and nephew knew that he would visit them every week to which they responded by giving him big hugs.

Henry and Ria were both very nervous, but incredibly excited as well. During their last six weeks in Sicily, Nonna had made them learn everything they could about Egypt and the more they were able to read, the more excited the twins got.

Now seeing as how they were only four, there were still some things in the reading material that they didn't understand, but when they didn't Nonna came alongside them and explained everything as best she could in a way that would be easy for her grandchildren to understand.

Ria had tossed and turned the night before because she was so nervous and excited. Papa had said that Egypt was one of the most beautiful places in the world and for somewhere to be more beautiful than Sicily, was astonishing to the four year old twins.

They were currently bouncing around on their toes, eager to be gone and see their new school. They weren't very worried as they knew that Nonna would be coming soon and they would see Uncle Tony every week.

Severus was saying his final goodbyes. "Thank you Aunt Emilia for everything, these past four years have been some of the best of my life. You and Tony were there for me when no one else was and I will be forever grateful for that."

"Cease the profuse exclamations of gratitude Severus. You are my son and I would not be fit to be called a mother if I did not treat you with less of the respect that you deserve," Emilia said, slapping her nephew upside the head before pulling the potions master into a tight hug.

Severus then clasped hands with Tony and repeated the same mantras to which his cousin laughed and told him to enjoy himself in Egypt and to make sure that he wrote every day.

After agreeing to this, the small family picked up their suitcases and stepped into the large fireplace.

"The Mubarak Institute!" Severus shouted and threw down the handful of green powder. There was a bright emerald flash, a puff of smoke and the three of them vanished.

Ria felt as if she were being spun around on a top. She hated being dizzy and when the dreadful whirling had stopped, she Papa and Henry were deposited onto the stone floor of a strange building. Papa had managed to remain standing but he had to drop the suitcases and grasp hold of Henry and Ria's hands to keep them from falling.

Henry shook his head trying to get rid of the dizziness. When he opened his eyes and looked around though, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

They had just stepped out of the fireplace onto the stone floor of a long hallway lined with stone pillars. There was a tall stone doorway a long way off down the hall which let in the light of the sun beyond and the walls were lined with torches that shed light on the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that colored the walls.

Ria's expression was no less incredulous and Severus himself looked very impressed. The hall was ancient but it seemed to ring with a power that was thousands upon thousands of years old.

The small family took a few steps down the hall so they could look around. Henry and Ria stayed close to their father though as they were in a strange place.

"Ah you have arrived already. Greetings and welcome to the Mubarak Institute of Ancient Elixirs!" a voice boomed.

Henry and Ria jumped and whirled around to face the speaker. Standing in front of them with the far off light of the afternoon sun at his back stood a man in a long white robe. It was connected at one shoulder with a golden clasp and his tan arms were bare. His black hair was neatly trimmed and his bronzed face was complimented by bright white teeth that twinkled when he smiled at them. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief.

Henry decided he liked him immediately.

Severus set their cases on the ground and stepped forward, eyeing the man warily. "Ammon Hasan I presume?" he asked. The man chuckled before giving a short bow. "I am and peace be upon you and your house Master Andronicus, it is indeed good to meet you."

The wary look on Severus's face melted and a relaxed smile appeared. He stepped forward and gave a short bow as well.

"It is indeed good to be here," he replied. "Although, I must admit, I expected the Institute to be somewhat bigger than this."

The man called Ammon Hasan slapped his chest and uttered a booming chuckle that caused the twins to smile.

"This is merely an entryway to the Institute itself Master Andronicus, if you would follow me, it would be my pleasure to guide you to it."

Henry and Ria picked up their suitcases and hurried after Hasan with their father. There was so much to look at as they hurried down the long hall that Ria nearly tripped multiple times.

The ceiling was so high and completely made of stone like the ground beneath their feet. The pillars that held up said ceiling were also made of stone and had an immense girth. Ria thought that there had to be at least twenty of her standing in a complete circle to be able to wrap her arms around the entire thing. The pillars were standing in a uniform fashion all the way down the hall and colorful hieroglyphs had been carved and painted into their surfaces. They were so bright and pretty that Ria had to remind herself not to stop and look for too long or she might get lost.

The smell of incense was heavy on the air, and wrapped around the twins with its sweet scent. It smelled of mystery and adventure and Ria felt her pulse quicken, eager to find out more.

They finally reached the end of the long hallway and stepped through the massive stone doorway onto the top of a set of stone stairs into the sunshine.

Severus felt his jaw drop in astonishment.

There had been few things in his life that caused him immediate and speechless surprise, one of them being the information that he was the father of twins. But this was a different kind of surprise.

At the bottom of the series of long stone steps was a large blue lake that sparkled in the sun, the glare making it hard to fully take in. Several long boats with curtained awnings erected on board awaited. The ends of each boat were curved inward and along each side of the wood of the belly of the boat were long paddles dipped into the azure water. No one was waiting aboard the vessel which made Severus think that the boats were operated by magic.

Then he looked across the lake to the structure beyond and all thoughts left his brain.

He was staring at the most magnificent temple he had ever seen in his life.

Egypt was an ancient land with mystery and power. Of all the countries in the world Severus had admired Egypt the most. It was more ancient then any of the founders of Hogwarts, even more ancient then Merlin. It was comprised of dynasties that went back for thousands of years.

The temple he was staring at was a culmination of all of those things.

It stood about three hundred yards away, on its own small island of sorts. It was cut completely from rock and was hundreds of feet high. At the front of it were two massive stone rectangles that looked virtually indestructible. Between them and connected to both was a massive doorway similar to the one they had just exited. Enormous figures of pharaohs from the past were also carved out of stone and embedded in the rock of the two large stone rectangles. Around the outside of the temple there were green trees and lotus and papyrus plants in full bloom.

Severus couldn't see much beyond them, but that was probably because he was at a distance and would be able to see more when he was closer.

"Behold, the ancient temple of Isis at Philae, and the home of the Mubarak Institute of Ancient Elixirs," Ammon said solemnly.

If it was any other time, Severus might have rolled his eyes at the man's theatrics, but this time he felt it was highly deserved.

"Wow," the twins whispered in perfect unison.

"Wow is right," their father muttered.

Ammon turned to the small family with a cheerful smile. "Well follow me then." He gathered the white long robes around his legs so the hem line was pulled up by his calves so he was able to descend the stairs with ease and quickly hurried down them.

After picking up his suitcase and making sure that the twins did the same, Severus hurried down the steps of the building behind them.

Ammon put two fingers to his lips and gave shrill whistle, after which one of the boats they had seen that was docked farther away, suddenly appeared in front of them. Henry and Ria blinked and gave the man astonished looks only to have him wink at them before gesturing for them to board the boat.

Once they had done so and seated themselves and their luggage beneath the curtained awning, Ammon called out a few words in Arabic and suddenly the boat gave a lurch and began to move, the paddles swinging all by themselves.

Henry and Ria could barely sit still as the boat made its way down the blue lagoon. The sun was shining so brightly on the water, Severus feared he might go blind. But he himself was having a hard time not looking around.

As the boat drew closer, Ammon who was standing at the back began to point out various aspects of the temple to them.

"Now as you might know Master Snape, the temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis in ancient times as she was the goddess of magic. Her husband Osiris, the god of the dead and her son Horus were also worshipped here as well, but she was the primary deity. It also housed the Institute which has been here for around three thousand years."

The twins' eyes had grown as large as dinner plates and Severus was no less impressed. He couldn't believe he had been accepted to study here.

"Ammon?" he asked the Egyptian wizard.

"Yes?"

"Where is the primary school I was told that Henricus and Ilaria would be attending?" he asked.

"Do you see that smaller building situated just behind the larger stone colonnades?" Ammon asked. Severus had to squint for a moment before he was able to see where their guide was pointing to.

Off to the left of the colonnade just barely visible behind the massive stone structure, Severus could make out the faint outline of a smaller stone building. It glowed bronze in the sun and there was a peculiar metal spire on the top of it. It was hidden behind some tall sycamore trees, but still somewhat visible.

"You should know that the majority of this structure was rebuilt by Ptolemy II after the shrine of Amasis was demolished. Now Ptolemy was one of the later pharaohs of Egypt at the time. In fact, it was the Ptolemaic line that gave us Cleopatra, one of the most famous queens of Egypt."

Throughout the boat ride which took about twenty minutes, Ammon regaled the twins with tales of ancient Egypt. Severus watched them with a smile on his face. It was obvious they already loved their new home and he was warming to it quickly himself. It did help though that his aunt would be there.

Before he knew it, the boat had pulled up to the steps of the temple and the three of them were disembarking. Severus made sure their suitcases were collected before ushering the twins up the massive stone steps, Ammon following close behind.

"Master Snape?" Ammon called as he walked up the stairs causing the potions master to stop.

"Yes?"

"Now that we have arrived on the Institute property, I can have your cases sent to your residence. We are going to be on our feet for the next little while and I think with two smaller children, heavy cases would not be prudent."

"That is an excellent idea. Thank you."

Severus made sure the twins had brought their smaller cases and set the pile of luggage on the ground next to their guide.

Ammon then touched it and shouted out a word in Arabic. The trunks vanished instantly and the twins gasped in surprise.

It didn't escape Severus's notice that he had done all of this wandlessly. He made a mental note in the back of his mind to ask about it later. Then the small group continued walking.

When they reached the top and stepped into the doorway of the temple of Isis, Severus felt his jaw slacken. That was the second time today he had been surprised. It was a record.

The Institute was much like the hall of the other entry building they had just come from. There were massive stone pillars lining each side of the long corridors. The ceiling looked at least fifty feet high but was open in some places to let the light of the afternoon sun in. Hieroglyphs dotted the walls, but these ones were different than the ones that the twins had seen before. Every few seconds, they flashed with a strange light as if the sun was shining on them, but when the Andronicus twins looked up, they saw that that wasn't the case. It was obviously powerful magic which caused Ria to gasp in delight.

"Come along you two," their father called from where he had been standing in the doorway conferring with Ammon. The scampered back over to him.

Unlike the entry building where the fireplace had spewed them out onto the floor, the temple that housed the Institute was bustling with people and they were all dressed in the same strange white garments that Ammon was wearing. They were clasped at the shoulders with golden fasteners and some even had golden bands wrapped around their upper arms. There were some women, but most were men.

In the center of the long hallway there was an enormous statue of what Severus took to be the goddess Isis, completely carved out of rock. There was a tall crown on her head and the stone robes that she wore appeared much the same style as the garments everyone else was wearing. In her right hand, there was a long staff with a peculiar flower carving at the top. In her left hand which was down by her side, she appeared to be holding a cross, but on closer inspection, they found that it was looped at the top so it looked a bit like a stick figure that they might have drawn on lazy afternoons back in Sicily.

"Come along Henricus, Ilaria, there is much more to see," their father called, and it was with reluctance that the four year olds hurried back over to him.

Egypt so far was an incredible place.

Ammon led them down the large hallway, passing stranger after stranger. There were many hallways that branched off from the main one and led down to the right and to the left, but Ammon didn't make any turns.

When they at last reached the end of the hallway and were led out from the massive stone doorway at the other end of the temple, Severus was surprised again for the third time that day.

He and the twins were standing in a massive stone courtyard which was lined with tall green trees. There were covered walkways along each side and the trees provided shade for those who walked in the middle. At the far end, carved out of stone and clay but still embedded to the wall were the sitting figures of the ancient kings and queens of Egypt. Out here, there were even more people and there appeared to be some sort of class going on as there was a man in a white standing beneath the centermost figure of stone and there was a group of about fifty people sitting around him on reed mats, scrolls of papyrus in their hands, stylus's gripped between their fingers.

Severus didn't understand a word of what was being said and it struck him that he and the twins were already behind. They needed to learn to speak Arabic before they would be able to comprehend what was going on. The twins might have it a little bit easier in their new school as it was for the children of the international apprentices, but the letter had also stated that the Institute didn't accept many international apprentices and he was an extreme exception.

But no matter, they would succeed.

Severus had never seen anything so magnificent. He was standing in an ancient civilization that was thousands upon thousands of years old and he had been selected to come to study here, and his children had been asked to go to school here. It was completely mind boggling.

Henry and Ria looked like they were about to explode from excitement and Severus knew from the smile that was stretching his lips apart he wasn't far from it.

"The gate we just walked through to enter the temple is the Gate of Ptolemy II," Ammon informed them. "We are now in the Outer Courtyard."

Severus called to his children and the group of four walked down the stone steps into the courtyard, where Ammon turned to the left and led Severus and the small children under the covered stone walkway where there was another smaller doorway to their extreme left which opened up into another smaller courtyard of stone which overlooked the blue bay which surrounded the temple. There were boats moving about on the bay, some were fishing boats and others were simply drifting but were being commandeered by men dressed like their guide.

"Excuse me, Ammon, but where are we going?" Severus asked tentatively. The Egyptian turned back. "Director Mubarak wishes your presence before I show you to your residence for the next seven years."

Severus stiffened slightly, but kept walking, the twins all the while hurrying ahead of him and chattering quietly.

Ammon led them along the stone pathway a few feet and then stopped several yards away from two stone pillars because sitting on a cushioned love seat that was curled at the ends between those two stone pillars, was a man.

This man was dressed similarly to Ammon in that he was wearing a long white robe but had a silken throw over his right shoulder leaving his left arm bare. He had long thick black hair curled below his ears and gently brushed the very tops of his shoulders. His skin was deeply tanned from long days under the sun and he was sitting on the seat facing away from them so his gaze was out over the bay.

Severus quickly knelt down and drew the twins closer to him so he could look them in the eye. "I want you to be on your best behavior okay?" he advised them. They nodded vigorously. He knew they didn't understand everything of what was going on, but they knew the situation was serious.

Ammon gave a deep bow and remained in a bent over position for a few seconds before he said: "Lord Mubarak, they have arrived."

He straightened up again and retreated to the stone pillar on the right side where he folded his hands in front of him, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Severus looked at him in confusion for a few seconds, but when the man seated on the chair rose, his attention was diverted.

He turned, and Severus immediately felt the probe of another mind against his. It didn't dive in and seize control of his memories. It merely brushed against his consciousness with a curiosity but firm determination that Severus found he was completely incapable of refusing.

It was as if he was near the heart of a magical supernova that was nearly impossible to move away from.

After a few seconds, Severus began to feel dizzy and whatever mental shields he tried to erect were immediately burned to ash.

Then as quickly as the probe came it was gone, leaving behind a sweet cloying numbing feeling that instantly restored Severus's energy. The twins were looking up at him curiously and he realized with relief that they had been untouched.

"What…what was that?" he stammered. The man inclined his head, the serious look dropping from his face and replaced with a small smile.

"My apologies Master Snape, but I had to be certain that it was you and not a masquerader. I would not have entered your mind without your permission, but by simply brushing against your state of unconscious, I was able to ascertain that you are in fact not someone in disguise."

"I imagine that that happens a lot?" Severus asked still feeling a little unsteady. He wasn't angry because he hadn't been assaulted and the preceding letters since his letter of acceptance had hinted that there were quite a few security features so it wasn't entirely unexpected.

Navid Mubarak was a tall man. He was well built and powerful looking and from first glance Severus knew he would not want to get one the man's bad side. His dark eyes sparkled with intelligence and his hair was greying slightly at the temples. He had no beard, only a sprinkling of stubble on his cheeks and chin.

His voice was low and rumbling like thunder and seemed to thrum with power which only added on to his overall impressive façade.

He stepped forward and bowed slightly to Severus who returned the gesture before the Director's eyes turned to the twins and a smile lit his face. Henry was holding onto one side of his father's robes tightly while Ria held the other side and they were standing halfway in the shadows that their father's dark cloak created.

"Why don't you say hello?" Severus murmured to his children. Henry swallowed hard, but then took his sister's hand and stepped forward before greeting the director in a small voice, his eyes on the ground. Severus could tell they were both nervous.

But when Mubarak looked at the small children, his gaze softened ever so slightly and Severus knew that whatever kind of test had just taken place, they had passed.

"You have beautiful children Master Andronicus," Mubarak rumbled. Severus gave the twins a fond smile and stepped forward so he was in line with the twins once more.

"Please call me Severus, Director. And thank you director, I am very proud of them."

"And well you should be." He turned and waved his hand and a chair much like the first appeared next to the original.

"Come and sit, we have much to talk over."

Ω

Navid Mubarak was one of the most fascinating men that Severus had ever met. The man was two centuries old and yet retained the spry nature of his youth. When Severus heard this, he suddenly began violently choking, causing the twins to look scared.

"How is that possible?" He asked when he had regained his breath. "You look only a decade or so older then I."

Mubarak who was sitting in the chair across from Severus and the twins uttered a booming chuckle.

"There is a reason why we are the best and most ancient of the potions institutes in the world Severus. In my research I have discovered an elixir that extends the life of a wizard as well as a Muggle, so that they may retain their metabolism and neurogenesis for well beyond their normal life span."

"That's incredible!"

"Indeed, we are in the process of perfecting it, and it is slow. But many here hope that the discovery of this elixir will bring about the gateway to immortality."

Severus felt his jaw drop open before he clamped it shut, remembering where he was and who he was talking to. "Do you think such a thing is possible?" he asked in astonishment.

Mubarak took a sip of the wine that was sitting in a goblet by his side. "I do," he replied. "However such discoveries are a long way off and I believe I will not live to see them."

He then turned to the twins. "Do you like Egypt so far?" They both nodded vigorously "Yes sir." Mubarak smile.

"Excellent, I hope in time you will come to call this place home." He then turned his gaze back to their father.

"We have been keeping an eye on your accomplishments for quite some time Severus. In fact the potion that you created to obtain your gold cauldron, a shield to ward off the Imperious curse….very impressive."

Several inclined his head modestly. "Thank you Director Mubarak. I cannot claim credit alone for that discovery. My cousin Antonius was also responsible."

The director raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why then is he not here as well?" Severus blinked.

"He did not apply for fellowship. It was my belief that he didn't think he would be accepted into the Institute."

"And yet you did," The director mused. "I fully admit that our admittance standards for international apprentices are extremely high, however no can fault intelligence and brilliance which is quite the reason we are sitting here today."

He paused in his speech and looked out over the bay. "Tell me something Severus, what made you decide to become a potions master."

The dark haired Italian fumbled for a moment before he settled on what he believed was an acceptable answer.

"Potions is something I have always had an aptitude for and an interest in. No other branch of magic has interested me as much and from a young age I knew it was something that I wanted to do. After all no other branch of magic has so many other capabilities and potentials."

"Please elaborate."

"Well," Severus thought for a moment. "For example, there is transfiguration. While that is a respectable branch of magic, potions has the capabilities of doing the same thing. Allowing the witch or wizard to transform their shape from the contents of their cauldron. It is my humble opinion that potions is the branch of magic that all the others stem from."

Mubarak looked at him for a second before he uttered a deep laugh causing the twins to smile.

"You should perhaps have thought of entering politics Severus. No one else I have seen has been able to answer as well."

Severus let out an inward sigh of relief feeling as if he had passed another test. Mubarak took another sip from the goblet of wine.

"I am pleased that you decided to come for early orientation. Unfortunately, you are the only international apprentice we have this year, some have come from other parts of the Middle East but they all speak Arabic and the others have come different parts of Egypt so they and the children they have speak the language as well. You are the only one from an English speaking country."

Severus winced, he had been afraid of that, learning Arabic would just be another hurdle to jump over but he was a little worried about the effect it might have on the twins. They had each other, but he was hoping they would be able to make some new friends who would be in the same boat.

The director must have seen the apprehension on Severus's face because he hurried to reassure him.

"They all speak English however, so it is not as if you would be isolated, though I would encourage you and your children to learn the language quickly."

"I intend to," Severus muttered.

"Excellent," Mubarak said rising to his feet and Severus hurried to do the same. He gave the director a short bow which was returned and then Ammon appeared once more.

"I look forward to seeing how you will better serve the Institute and yourself Master Snape," he said and clasped Severus's hand briefly before turning away.

Severus smiled at him and glanced down at the twins for a second before looking up again and blinking.

Mubarak had completely disappeared. It was as if he had never even been there. Even the chairs they had been sitting on before a few minutes ago had vanished.

_He sure knows how to make an exit._

"He does that a lot," Ammon said striding forward to rejoin the small family. "Director Mubarak has a slight flair for the theatre."

"Where did he go Papa?" Ria asked. "He was nice."

"He was," Severus agreed.

"Come," Ammon said drawing his attention back. "I will direct you to your residence and then feel free to look around, although I would not suggest you stray too far from the house until you have gained your bearings. It is quite easy to become lost here."

"I do not doubt it."

Ammon led them back through the doorway and into the Outer Courtyard again. The class at the foot of the large stone statues to the rear of the courtyard was still in session and Severus paused in mid stride to watch.

The potions master was speaking in Arabic but Severus was more interested in what he was doing then in what he was saying.

He finished his sentence, and then retrieved a vial from deep in the pockets of his robe. He uncorked the top and tipped the contents of the vial down his throat.

Next, one of the attending apprentices stood up and retrieved some red powder from one of nearby braziers that was not lit. He rubbed the powder between his hands and then blew on it and Severus watched in astonishment as the powder roared into a flaming inferno and leapt from the hands of the apprentice towards that of the teacher, utterly engulfing him in the blaze.

A few tense seconds passed and Severus watched nervously as the dire seemed to burn itself out. As soon as the golden flame was gone however, the master emerged from the smoke, robes and hair not even scorched.

There was a moment of shocked silence before all the older apprentices who were sitting rose to their feet and burst into applause, Severus included.

"That was incredible!" He said to Ammon. "I don't think I've ever seen a potion that can repel fire. And that didn't look like any kind of flame."

"It wasn't," Ammon agreed. "It is a fire that is like the Fiendfyre spell, but it is much older and far more potent causing acidic burns if it is not dealt with quickly and if left for more than ten seconds, the person will crumble to ash."

Severus gaped. Henry and Ria had grasped ahold of their father's robes watching in wide eyed amazement at the proceedings.

"Come, there is still more to see, I must show you the school where Henricus and Ilaria will be spending the next seven years and then to the residences for the international apprentices," Ammon said.

The small Andronicus family hurried after their guide through one of the four entryways that were guarded by massive stone cutouts of the pharaohs. When they had reached the other side, Severus saw that they had entered a small cleft between the temple and the other part on the opposite side. Running down the center of the space was a large blue rectangular marble pool. It was about ten feet wide and looked very deep.

Ammon led them down the stone steps and at the edge of the pool which was lined with beautiful plants and shrubs. He called out a word in Arabic and there was a loud grating sound before a dozen large marble stepping stones materialized in the water so they could get across. Ammon went first, followed by Severus holding onto the twins' hands.

They stepped carefully, but Ria gasped in delight when she looked down into the water and saw an assortment of beautiful and exotic fish. As soon as they had reached the other side, she grabbed her brother's hand and tugged him over to the edge of the pool.

"Look Henry, look!" she exclaimed and the small boy gaped in surprised when a large golden fish swam up to the surface and poked its head slightly out of the water to look at them.

"Its so pretty," Ria sighed. The next second, she looked up at her father.

"Papa, can we keep it please?"

"Oh yes please Papa?" Henry joined in the begging.

Severus chuckled and shook his head. "We cannot, these animals do not belong to us." This statement was met with loud groans from the twins.

Ammon seeing the fuss knelt down in front of the twins. "But, perhaps if you are good and listen to your father, you may come back and see the pool every day." He winked at them good naturedly before giving Severus an amused smirk.

Severus rolled his eyes but grinned. The last thing he wanted was his children running around the halls of the temple, falling into pools and communing with the fish. But at least they knew how to swim.

"If you behave, perhaps Ammon will take you back here to see them," he said and Ria and Henry's faces broke into excited grins. Ammon gave an amused chuckle before leading them on again.

After they had crossed over the pool, they had to climb yet another series of stone steps into another large stone building which was much the same on the inside as the temple they had passed through earlier.

When they had turned halfway through the building however, Ammon suddenly made a sharp turn to the right and they followed him down another stone corridor that branched off from the main one.

Ria decided she would never get used to the pillars and their size and how high the ceilings were and pretty the hieroglyphs were colored. Her brother was having the same reaction.

Ammon led them out from the hallway into a massive stone doorway from where they could see they were about to descend into another courtyard much like the main one where the class had taken place earlier. Except this one was much smaller and in each corner there were houses made of stone.

_Merlin, it seems like everything here is made of stone!_ Severus thought.

The houses were about two stories tall and had little gardens in the front of them that were full of beautiful plants. In the center of was a large pool filled with lily pads and pale pink lotus plants.

In back of the houses, Severus could see another stone doorway which opened up into the beach beyond. Because the temple was on its own small island, the bay was available for swimming and relaxation.

Severus breathed an inward sigh of relief, the twins loved swimming and he wasn't sure how they would adjust given that Egypt was mostly desert.

"Master Snape, the house in the far left corner is yours," Ammon said gesturing to the house in question. It was the one closest to the doorway by the beach and because of its positioning, a cool refreshing breeze was blowing off the day, taking the sweat off of Severus's brow. He sighed in relief having forgotten how hot it was.

"You will find your luggage already inside. Oh and one more thing."

Ammon dug into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a piece of papyrus and a bronze key which he handed over to the potions master.

"You might find it difficult to navigate the Institute for the next few days," he said. "It is quite easy to get lost here."

"Thank you Ammon," Severus said gratefully.

"May peace be upon you and your house Master Snape. May you thrive here at the Institute and may be become better for having you."

Formal words aside, their guide turned and hurried from back into the second section of the temple before disappearing around the corner.

Henry tugged at his father's robes. "Papa, can we go to the beach?"

"Not yet Henry, we need to get inside and unpack. School starts for you tomorrow and we need to get you ready."

"Okay."

The sun was beginning to set as the small family hurried across the stone floor of the small courtyard and when they had reached the door, Severus inserted the key in the lock and pushed it open.

He blinked.

The door opened onto a modest sitting room. There were a few plush wooden seats like the ones they had sat on with the director earlier in the day and the floor was covered with beautiful thick Persian rugs that their feet sunk into. It was obvious that shoes would have to be removed upon coming here. He did so and bade the twins do the same.

After this was done, Severus noticed the small stone staircase that led up the second floor. He and the twins quickly hurried up it after Severus levitated their trunks after them.

The second floor of the house was comprised of a short corridor that held three rooms. Severus was pleased to see that the bathroom was modern and something that he and the twins were used to. He had had visions of having to squat over a hole in the ground.

Next was the twins' room. It was also small, but the walls were painted with several large hieroglyphs. The beds were side by side with a small aisle in between to walk to the large window that looked over the stone wall slightly so they could see the beach beyond.

The beds were low and made of hard sturdy wood and were claw foot. They were covered with thin mattresses and comfortable looked red sheets. Other than that, the room was bare.

Severus set their trunks down at the end of the beds and it was then that something white was lying on both of the sheets.

"Papa, what are those?" Henricus asked. Ria made her way over and picked up the white cloth sitting on the bed she had claimed. It turned out to be a white thin strapped dress. Henry's was similar but it of course covered his shoulders and had a wide leather belt.

"I think that these are your school uniforms," Severus mused as he picked up the garments. "You are supposed to wear them for school every day."

Resting on top of the garments were two necklaces and on each of them was the same strange symbol they had seen the statue of Isis holding. They were gold and seemed to give off their own light. Severus could tell right away that they were protection charms, having seen so many different kinds himself. He was impressed that the Institute seemed to think of everything with regards to their new apprentices.

After exploring the rest of the house, Severus ensured that twins had a bath and tucked them in for the night before retreating to his room.

It was much the same as the twins except it was larger as was the bed. There was a large fireplace facing the foot of the bed and while no one would be able to floo to visit him, he was allowed to make calls to talk to anyone through the fire. This was a little relieving.

After making a call to his aunt, and letting them know that they were alright and had arrived safely, he bid her goodnight and lay down on his bed.

Egypt was a magnificent place and he couldn't wait until tomorrow to see more of it.

Ω

Severus was lost.

He supposed it was no one's fault. He and the twins had missed their alarm and were nearly late for their first day.

Henry and Ria had woken him and then he had raced to dress both them and himself and get them out the door in time to meet the pupils of the other apprentices and their teacher who he had been told would be waiting in the center of the courtyard for them by the pool.

The twins had pulled on their school uniforms and after Severus had donned his own white garments had ushered them out the door.

Before putting them to bed the night before, he ensured that they knew a few phrases in Arabic, simple things like _hello, please, thank you_ and so forth and making sure he had done the same in greater detail. It would take them a while to learn the language, but Severus wasn't worried.

They had made it just on time, because an elderly woman in the same white robes was standing by the pool and they were the last to arrive. She began by greeting them first in Arabic and then in English to Severus's everlasting gratitude. Her name was Jamila, and she seemed awfully nice.

After she had concluded her speech, she walked over and formally introduced herself to Severus and the twins. She had obviously been told that they were the international family and might be a bit more lost then the rest of them. Jamila informed Severus that every morning, the children of the apprentices would meet in the courtyard after which, she would guide them to the school where they would spend the day in orientation and then would be brought back shortly after their parents were released from their masters for the day.

Severus liked her right away. Henry and Ria looked nervous, but Severus knelt down beside them and said. "If you have any questions, or any problems, go straight to Jamila and she will come and get me. You'll do fine. Henry look after your sister, Ilaria, try and keep your brother out of trouble."

They nodded and gave him small smiles before turning to follow the other six children out of the courtyard, up the stairs and into the second part of the temple.

"Bye Papa!" The called right before they disappeared with the other pupils following Jamila down the corridor. Severus felt his throat close with emotion as he watched his children hurry off to school, the charmed necklaces swinging from their necks.

It was then that he realized if he didn't move soon, he was going to be late, and that was not an impression he wanted to make with Master Hakim on his first day.

Of course it was also his rush that got him lost and so he had found himself twenty minutes later wandering around the temple, cursing his bad luck because he had forgotten that he had left the map back at the house.

He stopped next to one of the large stone pillars near the statue of Isis and was just contemplating the merits of trying to find his way back to retrieve it, when something unexpected happened.

"Are you lost?"

Severus whirled around, surprised to hear English in a place where the language was predominantly Arabic. He blinked. Fourth time in the past twenty four hours that h had been surprised.

Standing about fifteen feet away from him near the pillar in front of him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Her skin was a rich caramel tone and looked warm to the touch. She had a pile of jet black hair that hung down to her waist in long loose curls. And her eyes….her eyes were a deep golden color that were almost hypnotizing. She was dressed in a long white garment much like the ones the other apprentices were wearing, but it was one shoulder and an intricately embroidered belt made of golden thread was wrapped around her waist. She had the same charm around her neck that the twins had been wearing and a rolled up scroll was resting in the crook of one arm.

Severus blinked and had to swallow a few times before he remembered himself and that she had asked him a question.

"Um….yes, I'm trying to find Master Hakim, but I'm still not used to the setup here."

At his words, the woman's eyes brightened and she gave him a smile that made Severus have to blink and swallow again.

"Ah, I know where he is, please follow me. I will guide you to him."

Severus fell into step alongside her and the two of them hurried down the stone corridor of the temple, carefully sidestepping the people that got in their way.

She led him out into the outer courtyard where he had seen the class taking place the day before, before turning left and leading him out onto the same deck overlooking the bay where they had met Director Mubarak earlier.

She turned toward the pillars at the edge of stone deck and pointed to a set of stone stairs that were leading down onto the sandy shore of the beach, where a tall man in a white robe was conferring with three other apprentices.

"There he is," she said. "I wish you all the luck you need." Severus paused. He knew she was asking politely for his name.

"I'm Severus Snape. And you must have figured that I'm the only international apprentice as I was the only one who got lost," he said with a small smirk as he moved toward the stairs.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Severus," she said giving him a small smile that betrayed her amusement at the situation he had been in.

"My name is Jasmina, and you had better hurry, Master Hakim looks like he is about to start, I would not want to keep him waiting.

"No I would not," Severus muttered. He thanked Jasmina for her help and hurried down the stairs and across the sand to the potions master, eager to start his first day.

Ω

**And here it is! Severus and the twins have arrived in Egypt and met some very important people who will be coming up more and more frequently as the story goes on. I hope you enjoy this chapter and until next time, happy reading everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Ria held onto Henry's hand tightly. She was a little nervous when they said goodbye to Papa, but Henry had scrunched up his little four year old face and told her not to worry that everything would be fine.

She wasn't so sure, Egypt was beautiful and she loved it already. But she couldn't understand what everyone was saying!

Holding on to her brother, she followed the other small group of women who were with the nice lady. What was her name again? Jam….Jami?

Ria sighed in frustration. She would just have to ask Henry if she had any questions.

The four year olds followed their teacher through the stone hallways of the temple, making sure to stay with the other children. There was so much to look at and to listen to, that that was sometimes difficult to remember

Finally, the eight children emerged from the temple out into a courtyard in the back of it where the ground beneath their feet was marble and there were large potted plants scattered throughout the area. The courtyard wasn't very wide and beyond it, there was a series of ancient stone pillars between which the twins could see the azure blue bay and the boats on it.

In the corner of the courtyard there was a smaller stone building. It was flat and low but looked quite cozy.

Without missing a beat Jamila led the group of children toward the building and pushed open the door to reveal about a dozen small colorful woven reed mats that were arranged carefully on the mosaic floor. The room was small but there was a large open window to let in the breeze off the bay. The room was connected to another by a thick sheet of glass which looked into another room beyond which was much the same as this one. On each of the small mats there was a scroll of papyrus and a stylus.

Henry and Ria exchanged glances before hurrying to find a seat in the front. Once all of the children had seated themselves, Jamila walked to the front of the room and offered them all a bright smile.

She said a bunch of things in Arabic and the twins exchanged confused looks. Finally though, she spoke in English and they sighed in relief. She told the class that for the next month until the school term officially began she would be their teacher and they would be learning both magical and muggle studies. Henry and Ria looked at each other excitedly.

In addition to charms, they would also be learning arithmetic and history. Jamila explained that it was always good to have knowledge of both worlds so that you were prepared in the best way you could be for the future.

For the next couple of hours, the twins were completely occupied with arithmetic and history of magic as well as history of Egypt.

Ria was in heaven. She loved to learn even more then her brother and this was her element. Henry loved school too but he also liked to make mischief. However he was studying as hard as she was. Because they didn't speak Arabic, they were already behind. She and Henry would have to study twice as hard to catch up with the other kids.

Jamila often came over in the next couple of hours as they worked on their math problems, checking their work and making sure they were comfortable.

It was around noon when someone new came over to them.

"Are you in need of assistance?" a soft voice asked.

Ria looked up and gasped.

Standing above them was the most beautiful woman Ria had ever seen in her life. She had long waist length black loose curls, her eyes shone like gold and she was wearing a beautiful white dress with gold around the waist.

Henry glanced up at her and his eyes went wide too. After a few seconds where they just blinked at her, the woman sat down and smiled at them. She was even prettier up close. She would make such a nice picture.

"Who…who are you?" Henry asked finally after getting his four year old wits about him. Ria wanted to roll her eyes. The woman gave them a gentle smile and when she did, to the four year olds it was like sunshine.

"My name is Jasmina. Your teacher has assigned me to you specifically. She said I was to teach you Arabic."

Ria frowned. Papa had been teaching them Arabic. Henry and she only knew how to say please and thank you, but he had said that he would teach them more.

"Papa said he was going to teach up Arabic," she said looking at the woman a little suspiciously. Ria was a smart child, she wasn't someone to take things at face value. But instead of getting angry the woman smiled.

"I know, and Jamila told me that your father was going to do that. But he also works here. I thought I could help him by teaching you during the day, and he could teach you at night. Does that seem fair?"

The twins exchanged glances. Papa was going to be busy with work and this lady seemed nice enough. They turned back to her.

"Okay."

"Good, then we can get started. Firstly though, what are your names?"

"I'm Ria and this is my brother Henry," the little girl said point to herself and then to her brother in that order.

"Well good, we can get started then," Jasmina began but when the twins exchanged looks again she glanced between them. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, Miss Jas….Jasmin…Ja…" Ria broke off frustrated. There were still some words even in English that she couldn't say and it was starting to get annoying. The beautiful woman held up her hands.

"Can….can we call you Miss Mina?" Henry asked hesitantly and his sister nodded. Jasmina had to suppress the urge to smile. She had known from the minute Jamila pointed them out to her that she wanted to teach them.

"Of course," she said and thus earned a smile from the twins.

Jasmina was a relatively new teacher to the Institute. She was educated and very smart, but up until that point her father had not wanted her to work. Not because he was traditional or backward, but because she was his only daughter and he was worried that she might decide to leave their home.

The Egyptian loved her father, but she was the youngest of ten siblings, all of them boys. There hadn't been many girls born to their family in the past few generations. She always felt like she had something to prove being the youngest. Her older brothers were all expert potions masters. Some served here, others in different institutions around the world, but seeing as how she was their only sister, they were a little protective of her.

So when she had heard of the position of teaching at the Institute, she had jumped at the chance to be around someone other than her own family. Jasmina's mother and her and besides the servants, they was the only females in the house. Her father wanted her to settle down and marry, but Jasmina was still young, just twenty four years of age, there was plenty of time for everlasting matrimony later.

The rest of the afternoon was spent painstakingly working their way through numbers and phrases. It was hard work and quite a few times Henry and Ria grew frustrated, but if there was one thing that Jasmina knew living in a house with nine other males, it was patience. She never lost her cool or got angry, only when it was completely necessary.

In that afternoon, she found out a little bit more about her charges. Jamila had told her that she was in charge of teaching them Arabic and Jasmina could see the Henry and Ria were very intelligent. It wouldn't be long before they were speaking it fluently.

She also learned that the twins were from Italy where they had lived with their grandmother, father and their uncle before coming to Egypt.

"And do you like it here?" Jasmina asked curiously

"Oh yes," Ria replied happily as she wrote down the phrase Jasmina had told her to. "Its very pretty. But I wish Mama were with us sometimes too."

Jasmina frowned. "Your mother doesn't live with you?" she asked. It wasn't very common in the wizarding world for couples to get divorced. The only reason she could think of was infidelity.

"Papa doesn't like to talk about her," Henry said. "He says she's in a better place."

Ah, so she was no longer in the land of the living then, Jasmina surmised. The twins didn't seem overcome with grief at the mention of their death, so they must have had no memory of it.

The subject of the twins mother was not brought up again.

Before the three of them knew it, there was a tap on the door of the classroom indicating that the parents had arrived to take their children home.

Jasmina walked to the door and opened it to let them in. Ria and Henry's faces fell however when they saw their father wasn't among them.

It wasn't long before the classroom cleared out and when their father still hadn't arrived, Henry and Ria began to get frantic.

"Why don't we go outside and wait for him?" Jasmina suggested soothingly and at these words the twins calmed a bit.

"Okay," Henry said and then to their teacher's surprise, they reached and took her hands as she led them out the door. Jasmina led the twins to the small pool that was filled with flower blossoms and lily pads in the stone courtyard. She sat down and then bade them to do the same, tucking her dress over herself.

"I'd like to tell you a story," she said and instantly the twins' eyes grew big with anticipation. The only person who had ever told them stories was their Uncle Tony and now with them being in Egypt, they weren't going to see him very much.

Once the children were seated beside her, Jasmina turned to look into the pond as she told the story. Story telling was a pastime that had been handed down through her family through the generation since its founding. Jasmina was a pureblood, but that title didn't really mean anything to her. Magic was all the same to her and the people who possessed it were no different. That was why she loved to teach. She was constantly exposed to different cultures and different ways of thinking, it was fascinating and oh so refreshing.

"Now this is a story that happened a few thousand years ago, before magic had even entered the minds of the most ambitious and whimsical of dreamers. It was at that time when the deserts were wide and long and the cities were few.

During that time, the gods and goddesses looked upon Egypt from afar. The goddess Isis, who is the statue you saw outside the temple, was the first one to give magic to humans. However she was very selective with who she chose to give the gift. And with good reason, for there were many in Egypt who were ambitious and ruthless and who would have done great harm with it.

Isis looked far and wide for someone to impart the gift to. Someone noble and kind but also intelligent and cunning enough that they would know how to use it. And she found it in a young man named Jafar. He was the son of a wealthy noblemen who was also grand vizier to one of the pharaohs. Jafar was smart and after Isis saw him helping an old man who had just been robbed by street urchin, she decided it was he who she wanted to give magic to."

Jasmina paused but smiled when she saw that Henry and Ria were hanging on her every word. They were so attentive that they weren't even moving.

"Jafar was not only a smart man but he was also powerful as well. From birth, he had possessed a strange abilities to change his shape whenever he wanted. So if he wanted to turn himself into a tree, then he could." Ria gasped.

"Isis was so impressed with him that after she revealed herself to him, the two spent a lot of time together. And as so often happens when you meet one who shares similar points of view, the two fell in love. Isis decided not to return to the gods and she came to Jafar's house where she stayed with him for a time. By that time, his father had died and Jafar was made grand vizier to the pharaoh. They had ten children. And as a wedding gift, Isis gave to Jafar the ability to pass on his magic to whomever he chose which of course he did to all of his children."

"Were all of his children boys or girls?" Henry asked. "He had seven boys and three girls," Jasmina replied gently. "And all of them had strange and wonderful powers."

"What kind of powers?" Ria asked.

"I believe that his youngest daughter Nefertiti could control elements so for example she could create water and fire out of thin air and she could also turn her form into flame. She could breathe under water as well as underground."

"That's so cool!" Ria said causing her beautiful teacher to grin.

"Indeed and his children went on to do great things. Some became pharaohs. But they never forgot their gifts. Their father and mother had given them the abilities to pass on their magic to whomever they chose and so they did. They married and had children of their own. And soon the whole land was full of people that could wield magic."

"Henry Ria! There you are. I'm so sorry I'm late."

The three looked up as Severus dashed into the clearing. A large bag was slung over his shoulder and there were still more books in his arms. His brow was furrowed and his hair frazzled until he looked up, saw the twins and their teacher and nearly dropped his books.

"Jasmina?" he said in confusion and bit of wonderment. She gave him a soft smile. "Hello Severus."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Severus came to himself and addressed his children. "I'm sorry I'm late this place takes some getting used to."

"That's okay Papa," Ria said calmly. "Miss Mina was just telling us a story."

"Was she now?" Severus asked sparing the beautiful Egyptian a glance. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and he couldn't help but notice what a lovely shade of gold they were.

"I didn't know you were their teacher," he said addressing her now. Jasmina's amused look deepened.

"You didn't ask," she said playfully. "But yes, I am. Jamila said that since I speak English better than any of the other teachers here that I was to help teach them the language so they would not be behind once the school term starts."

"I see," Severus mused. He was not aware that his son and daughter were looking back and forth between their father and their teacher with curious looks on their faces.

"You weren't waiting long I hope?" Severus asked a little sheepishly. The day had been incredibly busy and he was still trying to get his bearings.

"Perhaps ten minutes?" she said easily.

"Thank you for staying," he said gratefully and she smiled. "I could do no less they are wonderful children and terribly bright. You are quite blessed."

"I know."

There was a long silence where Severus tried to think of something to say. He hadn't been this tongue tied in front of a woman since Lily. At even the memory of her name he felt a stab of pain and decided it was time for himself and the twins to be getting back.

"Do you two have your books?" he asked and they nodded. "Well I suppose we should be going then. Thank you Jasmina."

"It was my pleasure Severus," the beautiful teacher said. She bent down and looked Henry and Ria in the eye. "I will see you tomorrow. Remember to practice what I told you."

"Yes Miss Mina," they said obediently.

After waving goodbye, the small family of the three made their way back through the temple to their house.

"Miss Mina is really pretty Papa," Ria said looking up at her father with an odd smile on her face.

"Yes Ilaria, she is."

It wasn't until later that night when the four year olds were lying in bed all homework having been completed that Ria turned to her brother and voiced her thoughts.

"Henry, I think Papa likes Miss Mina."

Ω

Severus stirred the contents of his cauldron twenty times to the right and thirteen times to the left before he removed the stir stick from the liquid and set it to one side, waiting for Master Hakim to come by and check it.

At the moment, they were in one of the largest temples, in one of the rooms that was the oldest place of worship for the goddess Isis. Its stone ceilings were at least fifty feet high and the pillars were massive. Other than that, aside from the reed mats they were standing on, and cauldrons in front of each mat as well as the bronze braziers that were burning the coals along the walls, nothing else was in the room.

As he waited for his potion to be tested, Severus thought back a few weeks earlier to when he had found out that Jasmina was the twins teacher. Every day that he went to collect them Jasmina and the twins were sitting by the pool. Sometimes they were conversing in English although other times, he had caught them conversing albeit slowly in Arabic. There were even a few times when he had caught them speaking in French. She was all the twins talked about when they were home. They had become very self-disciplined

Severus spent his evenings teaching them and himself Arabic. Of all the languages he had had to learn so far he found it the most difficult, particularly the writing and reading aspect of it because in order to do it he had learn to read and write backwards. The twins took to it faster for some reason though.

He was especially pleased when he found out that Jasmina was also teaching them Muggle Studies as well. Such things were useful, especially when Muggles did outnumber witches and wizards.

The twins were well liked and now that they could speak Arabic more fluently, they had made some more friends. Hasid was a young boy who was an exceptional builder. He could make anything with his hands and he and the twins often spent afternoons or the weekends playing games at the beach.

Something Severus was amazed that they taught in the schools was wandless magic. When he questioned Jasmina about it, she chuckled and said: "I mean no offense to your school Severus, but the idea of needing an object to produce magic is just silly. Suppose something were to happen and you lose it? You would be completely defenseless to any kind of attack. Here we teach the children that magic is not only in their core, but also in their blood."

It was a different teaching method then what the former Slytherin was used to but after a time, he became used to it.

In fact, he was rather pleased that the teaching styles here were so diverse.

The only thing that he wasn't sure of was Jasmina herself. That was not to say that he felt she was a bad influence, but he always felt a little nervous whenever he went to pick up Henry and Ria and saw she was with them. He didn't know what the problem was. He always felt tongued tied around her.

The twins thought it was quite funny that whenever their father saw the beautiful teacher his face would go slightly pink and he would mumble for a few seconds before gaining control of himself.

After a few weeks of this Ria had her brother quite convinced that their father liked Miss Mina.

Severus on the other hand was positively terrified whenever he went to collect the twins. He liked being around Jasmina, she was beautiful and incredibly intelligent, she also seemed to be able to use magic wordlessly and wandlessly with ease. That made her a little intimidating. She was a pureblood with a long family history since the time of the pharaohs.

Other than his unfortunate lack of speech around her, Severus was completely enjoying himself. He was learning things he had never thought possible and like his children, he had made some new friends as well.

There was a young Egyptian in one of his classes named Adil Zaeem whose name meant intelligence or wisdom and he certainly lived up to it because Severus had never before met such a brilliant yet humble person. After nearly causing a cauldron to explode, Severus would later admit that it had been his fault, he had accidently picked up the eye of Newt when he should've gone for the Basilisk scales, the two had shared a good laugh and gotten to know each other better.

Severus would admit, the Institute was much like being back in school. He had thought himself an accomplished potions master before, but he was beginning to realize just how much he didn't know.

It was this that he was thinking about as he stirred his cauldron. He felt a light tap on his arm and after ensuring that all was well with the potion, he looked up to find Adil watching him.

"Are you alright Severus?" he asked. "You've been preoccupied all morning." He asked the question in Arabic and after thinking for a few seconds, Severus responded in the same way, though much slower. His Arabic had gotten much better over the past six weeks and the twins were progressing in leaps and bounds, but that was probably because Jasmina had instituted a strict study schedule so when they were with her at school, they were only allowed to speak Arabic. What she didn't know was that Severus evoked the same practice when they were at home.

He was quite proud of them for taking to their new life as they had done. Transitions like moving to a different country can be stressful, but he was very glad they had each other.

"What?" he asked jerking himself out of his thoughts when he remembered that Adil was speaking to him.

"I said, you've been preoccupied all day. Is something wrong?" Adil said patiently and Severus gave his friend a pensive smile.

"Just a little stressed is all," Severus replied. Adil grinned. In some ways he was like Tony, always good for a laugh and would never cease to have your back. Perhaps that was why they got on so well.

"Well then, you need to relax!" He snapped his fingers after a few seconds, upon realizing something. "Say, I know just thing. Suppose you were to come for dinner with my family tomorrow night. My father is always telling me that the house is too empty now that my three older brothers have left. Why don't you come?"

Severus was immensely pleased with the invitation, but he was unsure of whether or not to accept. Aside from Lucius Malfoy who he still sent the occasional letter to, and Lily, he hadn't had very many friends in his childhood.

"What about the twins?" he asked. "Their grandmother is Italy for the next month and can't watch them."

"Bring them with you!" Adil said. He had met Henry and Ria a few times and the three had instantly taken to each other.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I always enjoy their company and I know that my nieces and nephews from the brothers I still have living in the house will like them too."

That settled the two men got back to work. Adil had told Severus that he had ten siblings and out of all of them, he only had one sister and she was the youngest so that made all her brothers even more protective of her.

The idea of actually indulging in a social event was a little nerve racking for Severus, but he was also kind of excited. The twins would be ecstatic when he told them.

Ω

"Say it again," Jasmina said patiently.

The three of them were by the shore sitting on the sand, the twins with their homework in hand waiting for their father to return.

After six weeks, it was easy to see that the twins adored Jasmina and the feeling was mutual. Severus had then allowed her to take the twins home if he knew he was going to be late because for some reason he trusted her completely with them.

After she had told the twins that story of Isis and Jafar on their first day at school by the pool of water, she had been all they talked about. Henry was often a little tongue tied around her because she was so pretty but Ria had already cemented it in her mind, that she wanted to be just like her.

Jasmina herself had thought them the most beautiful children she had ever seen but there were sometimes when her mind had drifted to their father. He was an incredibly handsome man and very brilliant given the fact that he was studying at the most prestigious institute of potions and magic in the world, and a wonderful father it seemed to boot. Yet there was a sad look in his eyes almost as if he were bearing a sorrow that had yet to go away. She wondered if it had something to do with the twins' mother, they never spoke of her and she had sworn on the statue of Isis that she would never ask.

Henry and Ria sighed in frustration and said the words in Arabic again. After their first day, upon realizing how bright they were, Jasmina had gone home and designed an intensive program to help the twins realize their full potential and learn Arabic as fast as possible. They were progressing quite quickly but it would still be a few months before they could speak without having to think about what they were going to say first.

"ياسمينا ، حيث هو بابا Ria asked slowly. She said the lines with many pauses but was rewarded with a brilliant smile from her teacher. Ria had asked perfectly when her father would be home.

متأخر اليوم قال لي انه سيعود في وق Jasmina answered smoothly. The twins father had told them he would be back later today and if she would please take them to the shore once the school day had concluded.

"I think that the two of you can go play in the water now," Jasmina stated in English and her words elicited a squeal of excitement from the twins as they hurried off to play by the shore, all the while making sure they remained in sight of their teacher.

Jasmina felt a smile touch her lips as she watched them. The prospect of having children had never really held a lot of interest for her, but she felt that it was something she might be interested in one day. She was so engrossed in watching them that she almost missed the presence of someone coming up behind her.

Almost.

"Good afternoon Severus," she said softly turning to look at the Italian potions master. His tanned face split upward slightly into a smile which had Jasmina's own widening.

"Hello Jasmina," he replied as equally as softly. Over the last six weeks they had progressed to friendly stages, but there still seemed to be a barrier between them that prevented anything further from happening.

"You were later then I thought you would be," she said. Severus grimaced apologetically. "I know, an invitation was extended to me and the twins for dinner tomorrow so we were just shoring up some details."

"Oh who is it?" Jasmina asked curiously.

"Adil Zaeem."

If he had been paying attention, Severus would have noticed the muscle that jerked in her cheek because she was familiar with the name. Very familiar.

And before the day was out she was going to have a conversation with Adil Zaeem.

Ω

After saying goodbye to Severus and the twins, Jasmina stormed down the hallways of the Institute. She was a woman on a mission and she wasn't going to stop until she saw the man in question.

She found him in one of the stone corridors off the main hallway. He was just finishing up a conversation with a tall dark skinned man whose long black hair was tied in knots who she recognized as Potions Master Aali.

Luckily she walked up just as the man said his goodbyes and walked off. The minute Adil saw her, his face brightened up and then changed to a confused expression when he saw her murderous façade.

"Addy we need to talk," she fairly snarled out. His brow furrowed. "Now little sister what has got you in such a temper?"

"You invited Severus and the children over for dinner," she growled out. It wasn't a question. Adil looked confused by her tone.

"I did, why?" then his expression cleared into one of shock and then amusement. "Why Jasmina, you wouldn't happen to like dear Severus now would you?"

"That's ridiculous," the beautiful Egyptian snarled. "I simply do not think it is a good idea to be socializing right now, they have only just arrived here and are still getting used to the culture. You know how traditional our family is. Do you really think it wise to throw them into the deep end with our ancient cultures?"

In her own mind, the excuse sounded pitiful, but Jasmina was a master of secrets and to her relief Adil bought it.

"I hadn't thought of that," he mused. "And you really don't think Father will give him a hard time do you?"

"I know not," Jasmina said. "I adore the twins and I don't want to scare them." Her brother frowned slightly at her wording.

"Jasmina are you sure there isn't something else to this?" he asked quietly. Adil was the youngest male and only two years older than she so they were more in sync then some of her older brothers.

"No," she said firmly. "Besides all our younger nieces and nephews speak fluent Arabic and very little English won't it be difficult for them to keep up?"

"The twins aren't fluent?" Adil asked.

"Not yet, they're getting close. But it will still be a while before they can speak it without having to think about what they are going to say."

Adil shrugged. "The problem is easily solved. You said they were able to converse in Arabic albeit slowly, they have been here for nearly two months and you and Severus have been ensuring that they speak in Arabic almost every day. English is rarely spoken in their home from what Severus tells me."

Jasmina raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, it is all they speak and the twins are already fluent in French and Italian as well, they are only four years old, and they speak three languages with ease, it shouldn't be difficult for them to pick up Arabic as well. Don't let this trouble your mind for too long dear sister."

After saying their goodbyes, Jasmina promised she would see him at home as Adil still had a few tasks to finish for Master Hakim.

The beautiful Egyptian walked to the apparating point swiftly, intending to inform her father and elder brothers that they would be having guests and all conversation from the minute they arrived was to proceed in English.

The apparating point was the tall statue of the goddess Isis in the middle of the main hallway of the Institute. There were wards set up around it in the shape of blazing bronze braziers. The braziers burned with acidic fire so that anyone that the goddess determined as unsavory would not be able to apparate.

Her magic still resided in parts of this temple, but it was strongest in her statue and it was her magic that protected the institute from being attacked. After all she was a goddess and you would have to be out of your mind to cross wands with a deity.

Once she was there, Jasmina spun on her heel and disappeared with a crack. She reappeared at the apparition point about a mile out from home.

The Zaeem family home was ancient and the wards around it were formidable, if anyone unsavory approached and tried to do the home ill, the wards would instantly burn them to ash and no spell could stop it. They weren't blood wards. Their home was in fact protected by the magic of a goddess.

The Zaeem family was descended from the gods. Which would mean that Jasmina had told the twins her own story, but they had yet to know of it. She didn't usually do that but she thought the twins would find it interesting, it wasn't like they would ever find out anyway.

She put a finger to her lips and gave a long shrill whistle. A few seconds passed before a tan roan stallion appeared at the top of the tall sand dune in front of her and galloped down toward her. As he got closer, an ebony colored horn could be seen protruding from his forehead.

Jasmina smiled as the beautiful animal stopped in front of her.

"Hello Zaair," she said and the horses whinnied and stamped its foot, tossing his gold and black mane proudly.

Though it was a unicorn, long ago their ancestors had cross bred the horses with strong Arabian Stallions and the mix was a creature that could cast magic. It emanated from their horns and was tied to their instincts. If they were in danger, the animals would be able to escape from it due to their magic.

The Arabian stallions of Egypt had a proud history. They had been in the Middle East for about 3500 years were only a few centuries behind Jafar and his ancestors. The cross breed of Arabian stallions and Unicorns was remarkable because they could travel much faster then the average horse and because these stallions were bonded to the Zaeem family, if anyone unsavory tried to ride them, the horse's magic would immediately eject them off and they couldn't be harmed by normal spells. Their blood would also give the person who consumed it immortality. But to kill a stallion of the Zaeem family was a crime punishable by death.

Jasmina quickly mounted Zaair and the two of them raced over the golden sands toward the home of the Zaeems.

As she rode, the Egyptian glanced up at the sky and saw that the wind was beginning to pick up, it was whipping the sand around her at a furious rate and the dark grey blue clouds were racing across the sky. She grinned, Egyptian storms were amazing to watch.

Her home was the desert so it didn't rain very often but when it did, the sight was spectacular. The silvery drops would fall to the earth in a curtain and shower her entire golden world in silver. The desert was the best place in the world to be and she wouldn't trade her home for anywhere else in the world.

After about a half an hour of riding through then endless tall golden sand dunes, Jasmina arrived at a long marble road which cut right through the rest of the dunes. Zaair, recognizing that they were almost home galloped even faster and soon they were thundering down the marble strait.

Up ahead of her rose two tall mountain peaks, quite out of place in the desert, but these were man made. Her ancestors had in fact built their own pyramids and disguised them as mountains so the Muggles and offending wizards would never find out. They were several hundred miles tall and were black against the golden sands. The blood of the ancestors that was residing in the pyramids also served as a means of further reinforcing the security on the property.

In the distance and the space between the pyramids, Jasmina could just make out the oasis where the family home was situated. It was a few hundred acres wide and surrounding the house itself was an azure blue moat filled with fish and creatures that could just as easily turn on an enemy as they would be gentle to a friend.

As Jasmina galloped down the marble road, the mountains growing even larger as she closed in on them, the wind began to pick up and blew her long hair back until it streamed behind her in a dark curtain. As soon as she reached the foot of the dark mountainous pyramids, it cut off and she leaned over the neck of her stallion, urging Zaair onward.

It took at least twenty minutes of hard galloping for her and the horse to clear the base of the large dark pyramids and come within sight of the Zaeem property beyond.

The Zaeem Family was the most ancient house of magic in the Middle East. The Mubarak Family wasn't far behind them, but still behind them none the less. And their dwelling place certainly attested to that.

Every time that Jasmina came through the pyramids, she always stopped and surveyed the area in satisfaction before she descended into the property.

The Zaeem land was hundreds of acres wide as they had been living on it and expanding it for three and a half thousand years. They had dwelt there since the earliest pharaohs.

The property was surrounded by an ever living fire that was invisible to all until one reached a certain point and then it became visible. The fire was just an added security feature if someone by some miracle breached the first wards back at the apparition point. If they did, the desert between the apparition points and the pyramids was charmed with a heavy Confundus Charm. It would cause anyone with the wrong motives to become hopelessly lost and would never come insight of the pyramids because they were had a heavy glamour charm on them.

Sometimes Jasmina felt all the security was unnecessary, but the Zaeem family had been attacked before. Their walls had never been breached, but her father wasn't willing to take any chances.

Jasmina rode Zaair down the white marble rode that widened out as it neared the fire. Once she reached a certain point, there was a shimmering in the air and the burning fire appeared, towering in front of her at least a hundred feet high. The heat was unbearable, but after blinking for a few seconds, Jasmina dismounted and stepped forward.

"أسلاف قد أمرر," she said. **(Ancestors, may I pass?)**

There was a moment of silence. Then suddenly like a rushing oncoming wave, the Egyptian felt a consciousness reach out and seize hold of hers like a magnet. It was so strong that it froze her where she stood, she couldn't even blink. The force searched through her memories swiftly but surely and after a few seconds of standing in her rigid position, the force suddenly released her and she swayed slightly before grabbing the saddle horn to steady herself. She was twenty four years old and she would never be used to her father's security system.

A chorus of soft voices echoed in her mind, the voices of her ancestors answering her.

"يمكنك," they said. **(You may)**

With that, the towering wall of fire disappeared without a sound and Jasmina remounted Zaair, urging him through.

Just behind where the wall of fire had been, there was a tall stone wall covered in ancient runes that flashed every so often. There was a tall stone doorway and on either side of the entrance were two large stone sphinxes. They turned their heads toward her, watching her as she passed, their eyes going from stone to a dull amber. Other guardians her ancestors had put in place.

Legend had it that Jafar had more than one familiar and the sphinxes were bonded to him. As soon as he had passed into the afterlife, they had turned to stone, but because of their connection to this place, a part of their essence would always remain here to guard the place where he and his ancestors lived.

The Zaeem palace, for that was truly what it was, was surrounded by an enormous oasis. Plants of every color and size situated themselves in the area just inside the walls of stone. As soon as she came near the vegetation, a breath of wind it her and she let out a deep contented sigh.

The marble road she was riding on cut a path through the miles of gardens and up ahead, she could see a tall archway completely cut from rock and hundreds of feet high rising above the surrounding landscape and standing stark against the grey sky. She leaned over the top of Zaair's neck and urged him on.

Finally they reached the archway and passed through into the grounds beyond. Lying directly ahead of her was a long stone pool about a hundred yards in length. It was about five feet deep and colorful mosaic tiles decorated the bottom. The courtyard as at least two hundred feet wide and built similar to the Outer Courtyard of the Mubarak Institute. Stone wall carved with glimmering hieroglyphs lined the sides with stone overhangs reaching slightly into the interior to give shade to those who walked there, and if that wasn't enough, there were towering trees embedded in the emerald green grass which provided more than adequate cover. The pool was also fifty feet wide and Jasmina remembered that when she was young she had loved to sit there and put her feet in the water.

At the other end of the courtyard, there was another stone archway much like the first which led to the palace, but as soon as she entered the outer courtyard, Jasmina knew she wouldn't have to go far to find the man she needed to see.

There sitting at the far end of the pool right by the water's edge on a woven reed mat was her father. His legs were crossed, hands resting upon his knees and his eyes were closed.

Zafeer Zaeem was an intimidating man He was over six feet tall and while Jasmina was quite tall herself, her father towered over her being at least a head taller than she was.

She quickly dismounted from Zaair before turning so she could look the horse in the eyes.

"شكرا لك يا صديقي," she said. **(Thank you my friend)**

Zaair tossed his mane and stamped his hoof before turning and galloping back out the archway to the stables.

Jasmina turned and faced her father. She didn't want to disturb him, especially when he was meditating, but she doubted that Adil had had time to tell him of the plans and guests they would be having tomorrow.

She slowly walked toward him, and got about fifteen feet away before he spoke. Without even opening his eyes, Zafeer said: "تتحدث ابنته, دخلت فناء يمكن أن أشعر بكتوتر في أقرب وقت كما كن

He said. **(Speak daughter, I could feel your tension as soon as you entered the courtyard.)**

Jasmina blinked and fought to suppress her irritation. It was one of the strange gifts her father possessed. He could somehow sense the emotions of others. He couldn't read minds, but in a way he didn't have to. He could sense the emotions from all of his children as long as they were in the same vicinity of them.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her as she neared him. Jasmina looked down into his golden eyes so like her own.

She had often wondered where their signature irises came from. Her father had often told her that the golden color was a final gift from Isis, for when Jafar was about to die, she had turned him into a god and given him the name of Osiris, lord of the underworld. But because he had been a human when they had bonded together, their oldest son Horus had been given the gift of immortality as well as god like powers, he had become like his mother in all things.

It was said that Jafar, now Osiris became the god of the afterlife and he and Isis forever dwelt there in peace. For thousands of years after, the Zaeem family had searched for the entrance to the underworld, but had never found it.

Because they were descended from gods, the Zaeem family had been blessed with strange powers. All of the magic they were able to cast was wandless as well as wordless and they along with Mubaraks had been practicing sorcery like that for as long as the sands had drifted across the Egyptian desert. They found it very inconvenient to have to rely on a tool in order for one to produce magic. Magic was a gift and something that one shouldn't have limited access too. Plus it was also dangerous. Zafeer Zaeem had been keeping a close eye on the situation in wizarding Europe and he was downright appalled that the wizards there were limiting themselves to using pointy sticks as a means of being proficient in the magical arts.

You see, many witches and wizards believe that magic comes from the core, but the spell casters of the Middle East knew that magic was in the very life blood of a person and as such a wand was not needed to cast magic. It was of course still very difficult to do so which is why in the Institute's primary school they began teaching wandless magic at the age of four. It was always easier if they started learning it at a young age.

"I assume Adil told you of our impending guest's arrival tomorrow night?" she asked, switching to English. Her father raised an eyebrow but responded in kind.

"He did, a most peculiar event. The Zaeem family has not had guests visiting our noble home in quite some time."

He paused in his speech to get slowly to his feet and gestured for her to walk with him around the pool to which she wordlessly complied.

"What is your relationship with this Severus Andronicus?" he asked after a moment of silence. Now here is where Jasmina paused. She couldn't answer her father truthfully because she didn't rightly know herself. Severus had proven to be a delightful companion over the last eight weeks and his children constantly delighted her with their brilliance and wit, despite the fact that they were four years old. She knew Severus was a pureblood from Italy and obviously quite brilliant if he had been selected to study here.

_A friend, _she thought firmly to herself, confident that she could call him as such and she said as much to her father.

Zafeer nodded somberly. "I see, and his acquaintance with you?" Jasmina began to smile. Her father was an insanely powerful man and he had taken great pains to ensure his families' safety. The name of Zaeem was formidable and carried with it an echo that went throughout the Middle East to the rest of the wizarding world.

"I do not know his acquaintance with my father. I do however have the pleasure of teaching his children who I can only say are delightful, but brilliant in every way. They are twins."

"Twins you say?" Zafeer asked and his daughter nodded. Now that was interesting. Even in Egyptian mythology the birth of twins in a magical family was rare.

"Am I to assume that because their father is a pureblood that their mother was one as well?" Zafeer asked.

Now here was where things got a little tricky. Jasmina had only ever heard about Severus's wife from the twins and she had never out rightly asked unless they had volunteered information. She knew that the twins' mother was deceased, but that was all.

"I know not," she answered honestly. "It is not my place not know."

"Good," her father said. "When will your brother be bringing them?"

"Sometime in the early evening," was the answer. Zafeer glanced up at the grey clouds above their heads suddenly becoming aware of the fact that it was going to rain. Seeing his distraction, Jasmina seized the moment.

"Father I have a request to make," she asked and her father's golden eyes immediately zoned in on her, watching her carefully.

"Speak on then daughter," he asked and she could tell he was a little curious about what she was about to say.

"Do you think you could request that all conversation tomorrow night proceed in English? Severus and the twins are still learning Arabic and while it is quite good, I do not wish to overwhelm them with the culture we adhere to. Our family does not get very many visitors from outside Egypt and sometimes I think that we forget that not everyone is like us."

It didn't look like it, but Zafeer was hiding a smile as his daughter spoke because he knew there was something she was hiding. He wouldn't press her on it for now, but if the subject of this Severus Andronicus and his children was brought up again, he wouldn't hesitate to ask.

Jasmina had never shown an interest in the opposite sex, but he supposed that was because she had nine over protective older brothers. She was a powerful sorceress herself and didn't really need any protecting, but old habits did die hard.

But it was interesting the way a lighter tone would color her voice when she said this man's name or mentioned his children, though she it was obvious she was very fond of the twins.

Yes indeed, Zafeer was quite looking forward to meeting these individuals. If they were special enough to snag his daughter's attention, then he wanted to see for himself what the fuss was about.

"Of course daughter, I will inform the rest of the family."

Jasmina smiled, kissed her father's cheek and hurried off to the house leaving her father to his secret smiles.

The anticipation was slowly starting to build.

Zafeer watched his daughter enter the archway on the other side of the courtyard before allowing a small smirk to quirk his lips upwards.

He glanced up at the clouds again, noting the coming storm. Perhaps it was time to go inside, no doubt Adil would be home soon and he wanted to question his son carefully on the details of this Severus Andronicus.

Ω

**Whew! Sorry about the long wait guys. I had to hammer out a few kinks in Jasmina's character. She is going to play an integral role from here on out. I also loved researching some of the history of Ancient Egypt as well as learning about the gods. This story is going to be pretty AU for the next little bit, but I can promise it is going to be fun. Review and let me know what you think! :) And until next time, happy reading everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Severus was as nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. Of course it didn't really help that the twins were ecstatic. They had gone through the whole night and the next day with grins on their faces, made even wider by the fact that Jasmina was there.

She of course knew why the twins were smiling and it took some of her nerve not to say anything to them. They of course didn't know that she was Adil's sister and neither did Severus, the last thing she wanted to do was make any of them nervous when she was already nervous enough herself.

As soon as their father came to collect them after school, after waving goodbye to their teacher, they were gone in a flash.

They tugged at their father's arms all the way back to the house and when they got in the door, ran up to their room chattering excitedly. Severus didn't even need to tell them to do their homework as they had taken it all with them

He sat down on one of the padded cushions in their small living area and looked out the low window at the bay beyond. The sun was shining but he wasn't peaceful.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, _he thought. Aside from Tony who he had talked to the previous night, he hadn't had very many friends, so his social graces were lacking somewhat. The twins however didn't have that problem. They loved meeting new people and it was difficult sometimes to get them to settle down after meaning someone new that they liked. Jasmina was one such example.

Yet Severus didn't know what to make of her. She was intelligent, powerful, a pureblood from what he could see with an incredible wit and sense of humor that would have made her perfect for any of the four houses at Hogwarts. No….check that, she would have been eligible for her own house at Hogwarts and she would have bested any other magic user in the castle.

Even Lily…

Ah, and that was the crux of the matter.

Lily and Jasmina…..they couldn't have been two more different women. Yet they were the same in a few things, beauty and intelligence. Lily had always reminded him of a fiery Scottish princess while Jasmina had evolved into the sultry Egyptian goddess. One was red hot and fiery the other gold and levelheaded but determined and ambitious. One had given him two beautiful children that he couldn't imagine his life without and the other was slowly turning those children into incredible individuals that were going to be insanely powerful.

It was a never ending game of comparisons.

And ever since he had met Jasmina he felt destined to play it. Didn't matter if he wanted or whether or not he was interested, every time he was with Jasmina, he found himself making comparisons and later asking himself, _would Lily have done that?_

He wasn't sure about the answers he was coming up with either. They weren't bad, but he wasn't sure if they were good either. He liked Jasmina….he really did. Their conversations were enlightening and she seemed to bring out the best in him….in all of them. They had been in Egypt almost two months and the twins were nearly fluent in Arabic, they were excelling in school, in magic in general and he had her to thank.

Lily had kept the twins from him, she had broken his heart. Yes he still loved her but thinking about what had happened between them four and a half years ago made him wonder if she would have been an ideal choice to be with.

But Merlin help him….he still loved her. Despite all her flaws and all of her discretions and her insane lack of taste when she chose James Potter, she was still the mother of his children and she still deserved respect.

Severus got up from his seat by the window and hurried up the stairs stopping along the small stone hallway by the twins door to hear them laughing and giggling inside. He smiled and carried on to his room before closing over the door.

Taking one of the dark hollowed out gourds off the small mantle above the fireplace, he grabbed a handful of green floo powder and tossed it into the flames before calling out: "Tony are you there?"

There was a moment of silence before his cousin's head appeared in the flames. "Sev, Merlin its been ages since I talked to you, how are you doing?"

Severus smiled and proceeded to spend the next twenty minutes telling the other Andronicus all about the wonders of Egypt, what he was learning how the twins were adjusting before he even broached the subject of their teacher.

And as soon as he began to talk about her, Antonius held up a hand to stop him. "First things first. How beautiful is she?"

"Come on Tony, is that the first thing that you think of when I tell you that I met someone?" Severus asked.

"Yes."

Severus cursed his cousin's one track mind under his breath before indulging the Italian. "Yes she's beautiful. She's Egyptian, all the people here in the Institute seem attractive. She's a teacher at the Institute's primary school and the twins have really taken a shine to her. She's been teaching them Arabic for the past two months and they've really been doing really well. So have I."

"So what's the problem?" Antonius asked sensing that something was wrong, but not really seeing it.

"The problem is that whenever I'm around her I seem to constantly be comparing her with Lily. Besides aunt Emilia there hasn't really been a female in my life since I first discovered I was a father. And now there is one."

"Again, what's the problem?"

Severus threw up his hands and began to pace the room. "The problem is that I don't know what to do. The problem is that I seem to find myself smiling whenever she is and feel the anticipation when I go to collect the twins from school because I know she'll be there. The problem is that I'm a father and there are things I shouldn't be doing."

Antonius was quiet for a moment, something which Severus didn't expect. His face in the flames seemed to drain of emotion but then a curious expression colored his features a second later.

"You think you are being disloyal to Lily for noticing another woman in way that is more than platonic," he said finally and the simplistic nature of the statement brought Severus up short. He was about to protest when he recognized that truth in what Antonius was saying and stopped. He turned and sat down heavily on one of the cushioned benches in the room.

"Dear Merlin is that the reason?" he whispered. "Am I being disloyal to Lily?"

"Not at all, it has been four years since her death Sev and while she is the mother of your children, she would also not want you to waste your life in solidarity. You owe it to yourself to find happiness and if you still cannot, then you owe it to the twins. Whether it be with this woman or some other one. Do not automatically dismiss your wants."

Severus stared at his cousin in astonishment for a few seconds before his face cracked into a smile and he started to laugh. "When did you drop the Casanova act and turn into Uncle Claudius?" he asked.

Antonius smirked. "I am a man of many faces cousin, you never know which one I will pull out of my hat."

The potions master smirked and bid the Italian farewell before leaning back in his seat and contemplating the coming evening.

Ω

"We're ready Papa," Severus looked up from his mirror where he had been straightening his robes to see his children standing in the doorway of his room. They were dressed in the traditional colors of the Institute, deep blue, a shimmering blue the same color as the bay that surrounded it.

Severus had learned on his first day on the job that the bay was even more ancient then the Institute itself and that one of Director Mubarak's ancestors had discovered the island upon it and because he was a wealthy and powerful, skilled in the magical arts, he erected the Temple of Isis around on the island in the center of the bay and filled it with magical creatures to protect it and enforce the ancient wards.

The twins had discovered on their first day here that many of the fish in the bay and subsequently in the pools had healing powers. Their scales when ground up could heal burns and boils. The scales would often flash bright colors and were vivid and fluorescent. Some were gold, others were silver, deep purple, jade green, sapphire blue, burnt orange, flame red and sunshine yellow.

When they weren't doing their homework, the four year olds were often seen in the water, swimming with the fish.

All the plants on the bay floor were exotic colors as well and some were poisonous, emitting a black ink that clouded the water and alerted the residents of the Institute when there was trouble afoot. Then the sand in the bottom would dissolve into a bottomless pit and the nature of the animals would change, the fish would morph into sharks and flesh eating monsters and the long stems of the underwater plants would wrap around the boats of those attempting to reach the Institute and crush them to dust. Even the water would turn against the trespassers, it would thicken and become sluggish making a person sink into it and filling the air with toxic fumes that extracted the oxygen from a person's lungs and filled it with poison.

Pretty scary when you thought about it.

At first Severus hadn't wanted the twins to go anywhere near the water, but Director Mubarak had assured him that the twins were already registered on the wards as people who would always be allowed into the water and into the Institute itself. When Severus had sent off his contract signed with a drop of his blood, it had read the twins DNA as well when they came through the floo network.

Severus relaxed after that, but he made sure when they were at the beach that the twins remained in sight of him at all times.

He paused and took a moment to look them over. The garments they were wearing were the same style as the school clothes. Ria simply looked as if she was wearing a long deep blue sundress. Henry was dressed in similar robes except his had sleeves and fell to mid-calf. They were both wearing their school sandals and had on their golden security charms around their necks.

Severus grinned as he took them in. Both of them looked very excited and ever so slowly, he was beginning to feel that way as well.

"Excellent," he said in Arabic. "Are you ready to go?"

Ria and Henry scrunched up their little faces, first decoding what he had said and then answering him.

"Yes Papa."

"Good, then let's not keep Adil waiting."

He took them by the hands and led them down the stairs and out of the house through the temple to the apparating point. The twins had never apparated before, and they were a little nervous but when Severus expressed their concerns to Adil, he reassured his friend that apparating out of the Institute was perfectly safe.

There weren't many people wandering about the halls of the Institute in the early evening as it was getting close to dinner time and most of them had gone home for the night. So it was a bit of a surprise for Severus and the twins when they had entered the outer courtyard to see Director Mubarak lighting one of the braziers.

"Good evening Director," Severus called in Arabic. The most powerful man in Egypt turned and smile warmly at him before making his way over.

The courtyard had grown quiet. And the bright blue of the sky was beginning to fade to a gold. Ria looked at the clouds and gasped in delight for they had turned a deep mauve and looked so tangible that she felt she could reach out and touch them. The rays of heavenly fire had grown even more rich and vivid. They reached and curled around the pillars and monuments of the Institute, turning the entire temple to gold.

"It's so pretty," Ria sighed.

"Indeed," Director Mubarak said as he stopped in front of them. Severus bowed shortly in a gesture of respect as he had seen all of the apprentices do and the Director nodded in return. Mubarak knelt down until he was eye level with the twins.

"That's why I love the desert, very few things here ever change. They are as constant as the ever drifting sand that has been here for thousands of years. Some say Egypt is where life began, where magic originated before spreading to the rest of the world. And we get to witness to the continuity of it every day."

"Very poetic Director," Severus said chuckling. Mubarak gave him a small smile. "There is always something quite poetic about the truth is there not Severus?"

"Indeed."

"Where are the three of you off to if I may ask?"  
"We have been invited to the home of Adil Zaeem for the evening," Severus replied.

During the first few weeks, he had often seen the Director walking about during the many classes that the Institute offered, stopping to speak to a student here, and offering advice on a potion there. Yet he always found time to stop by the school and see how the new pupils were doing. Ria and Henry had told him many times that he said hello to each and every student by name and often helped them if they were having trouble with their work. There were even a few times when he and Jasmina had helped them with their Arabic lessons.

Severus' respect for the Director was already extremely high given how accomplished and powerful the man was, but having such a personable and compassionate attitude endeared him even more to the apprentices. He was a man worthy of the title of powerful, not like Albus Dumbledore that was for sure.

"I see," Mubarak said smiling at the twins. The beamed back at him. Ria had told her father that he sometimes told them stories when they had finished their lessons. They had grown kind of fond of him.

"Severus, there is something I need to discuss with you tomorrow, come to the terrace once the day's lessons have been completed," the Directors tone had turned serious and when the older man adopted that façade, Severus didn't really question what he had to say.

Director Mubarak was not only a powerful man but he looked it as well. His eyes would glow with a black fire when he was passionate or angry about something, and he stood taller than most of the men at the Institute. But while he was extremely strict, he was also fair.

"Yes sir," Severus said wondering what was so important that he needed to have a private meeting with the Director.

"Excellent."

Severus blinked and in the millisecond his eyes were closed, the professor disappeared. The twins looked a little awestruck. Severus smiled and shook his head.  
"Come on you two, let's not be late to meet Adil," he said. They hurried through the Outer Courtyard and into the main temple towards the statue of Isis that was so large it would be seen from one end of the temple to the other.  
Sure enough, Adil Zaeem was waiting for them. The statue of Isis was marked on each corner with bronze braziers that were constantly burning a blue flame. As they drew nearer the heat became more intense and just as they neared the statue it cut off and Severus breathed a sigh of relief before looking down at the twins who looked a little uncomfortable and were rubbing their arms, but other than that, they were fine.  
Adil had told him that the fire was charmed with the magic of a goddess to discern the intentions of those who entered the temple and used the statue as an apparition point.  
Adil turned, almost as if he knew someone was thinking his name. His eyes locked on them and lit up.  
"There you are!" He exclaimed and grinned at the twins who grinned back at him. Severus had introduced the twins to his friend a few weeks ago and being the friendly children that they were, they liked him right away. They always amazed him with how brave they were when it came to meeting new people. Then again, their mother had been a Gryffindor.  
A bitter sweet feeling rose in the potion master's chest. It had been four years and he still thought about her every now and again.  
"Well come on then," Adil said breaking into his thoughts. "Just reach out and put your hands on the statue, come on Severus you two, it'll take us where we need to go."  
"Ria, take your brother's hand and Henry, take hold of mine, we don't want to get separated." They did so.  
"Everybody ready?" Adil asked. "Alright then, on three. One...two...three!"  
There was a golden flash and the four of them disappeared in a pillar of flame.  
It was sort of like traveling with a port key except there was nothing to hold on to. Although it wasn't as unpleasant. Actually it was more like he and the twins had just leapt off an enormous cliff. He could hear the whistle of the wind past his ears and feel the sensation that his stomach had jumped into his throat and that nothing was holding him up. His skin felt as if it was tingling and he could feel the brush of the grains of sand against his skin as they raced up his arms and away from him. It was as if he and the twins had landed on an enormous slide and were traveling at full speed toward an unknown destination.  
After what seemed like an hour although it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, Adil said: "open your eyes my friends."  
When Severus did so, he found they were standing on a wide plain of drifting golden sands. Some of the dunes rose higher than the others and the wind whipped the sand across the land spraying segments of it into the air and they splashed against the light of the afternoon sun making it appearing as if gold coins were raining to the earth.  
The twins' mouths had dropped and Severus was impressed with the beauty of the desert, except he was unsure of why they were here.  
"Ah...Adil, is there a reason why we didn't simply apparate to the house?"

The Egyptian nodded. "Indeed, the wards extend about a mile out from the house itself and they are ancient. If we were to try and apparate into the grounds, we would be burned to ash in seconds."  
"Nothing says welcome home then second degree burns," Severus muttered under his breath but Adil didn't seem to hear him. He put his fingers to his lips and gave a long shrill whistle.  
From somewhere ahead of them, there was a distant whinny. The three guests looked up and saw that something had appeared at the top of the nearest sand dune.  
It raced down toward them and Severus' eyes opened wider when he beheld two magnificent stallions canter to a stop in front of them. One was a tan stallion with a coat that shone like gold in the sun and had black boots, and a black mane and tail. The other was as black as tar, but its mane, tail and hooves were gold. Severus felt his jaw slacken when he saw the gold and black horns on their foreheads.  
Henry and Ria squealed with delight and dashed for the beautiful animals. It didn't matter that they barely came up to the creatures knees, they still tried to reach every part of them.  
"Henricus, Ilaria, I would like to introduce you to Zaair," he gestured to the tan stallion, "and Asif."  
The tan stallion leaned its head down and blew the hair out of Henry's face, causing the little boy to give a bright peal of laughter. Ria clapped her hands and laughed along with her brother.  
The two horses were pulling a magnificent chariot. It looked large enough for five people and was closed on all sides to ensure that no one fell out. It was pure white and on the front of it was the carving of a large golden scarab beetle.  
Severus turned to his friend in disbelief who was grinning like the cat that caught the canary.  
"How on earth did you manage to tame unicorns?" He asked. "Are they not wild beasts?"  
"Originally yes, however many generations ago, an ancestor of mine saved one of them from being mauled by a lion and after that they were in his debt. When my family migrated to Egypt they brought the herd of unicorns win them and cross bred them with the Arabian Stallions of this country and the result is what you see here. A creature that is able to cast magic and whose hooves and horns are worth the weight of the horse itself in galleons."  
"That's incredible!" Severus exclaimed. "And they still serve you?"  
"They do. After a few generations, the breed we created were bonded to us. We have several hundred on our lands. The original unicorns simply decided to remain with us as well and have allowed us to use some of the shavings from their horns in our potions, albeit sparingly of course. We respect them and they respect us. It is an arrangement built on mutual trust and has been so for three thousand years."  
"This is amazing," Severus murmured as he ran a hand down the back of the midnight black stallion.  
"Aren't they pretty Papa?" Ria asked in wonderment. Her father nodded. "They are Ria."  
"Well come on then," Adil said interrupting the gawking of the beautiful horses when he opened the back door of the chariot and gestured for them to get in.  
"Is it safe to travel a few miles in the back of a chariot?" Severus asked warily. Adil began to laugh. "Of course it is! How do you think my ancestors traveled when the way of magic was closed to them? Riding horses and chariots has been a way of life for us and because of the ancient wards it's not possible to travel to the house any other way."  
"I see," Severus said as he helped Ria and Henry into the back of the chariot. Adil climbed in last and shut the door. As soon as he did so, the horses shook their manes and charged into a gallop over the sand dunes.  
"Hold on tight," Severus cautioned the twins as he did the same. He was surprised though that with the uneven terrain the chariot jostled very little. Although he supposed there were charms placed upon the vehicle to prevent that.  
The twins were standing at the front of the chariot, hands gripping the metal bars that formed the skeleton of the chariot, their hair blown back by the wind, eyes wide as they looked around at everything there was to see. They were simply a black dot in a sea of gold.  
After about twenty minutes of straight travel, there came to meet them, rising above the golden sands two enormously tall mountain peaks. Severus squinted but after a moment was able to discern that they weren't mountains at all, but pyramids. They were made of a black stone that he had never seen before. They were also kilometers wide and impossibly high.  
As they grew nearer, Severus felt as if he was approaching two ancient giants. "They're so big," Henry breathed.  
"They are," Adil agreed from his place at the back of the chariot. "My ancestors built those pyramids and it is their final resting place. They infused them with ancient magic that is nigh on impenetrable by those who would do us harm. There are two other pyramids that occupy the back of the property as well."  
"How wide is the property?" Severus asked.  
"About seven hundred acres from what I can remember."  
Severus gaped at his friend. "How on earth do you see it all?" He asked in disbelief.  
Adil laughed. "We can't apparate anywhere within the grounds so in order to get from one end to the other, horses are the primary means of transportation. Every member of the family can ride a horse by the time they are ten years old."

"Adil how many family member do you have living in your home?" Severus asked curiously. They had reached the base of the pyramids now and were beginning to small trek through them. Severus had a feeling that it would take at least ten minutes for them to clear the massive structures.

"Six of my brothers are married and the other two are serving at other potions institutes throughout the world. All of my older brothers' wives and children live with us. It is a tradition seeing as how my father had so many sons that the wives come to live in our home with their husbands. After all that was the way it was enacted in ancient times."

"So was polygamy," Severus pointed out and Adil laughed. "It was indeed, but I can safely say that that is a practice we have never had to rely upon."

"Why not?" Severus asked curiously.

"Because all the women that the males of my family have married, have been strangely fertile and have always born at least ten children each."

"So I'd imagine your family is quite extensive then," Severus mused feeling strangely impressed.

"It is."

"Papa…..Papa look, I see something!" Henry cried and at her brother's shouted exclamation, Ria strained to see where he was pointing.

The view between the two pyramids was rapidly becoming larger and Severus gaped when he saw an enormous oasis emerging, so large he couldn't see the end of it.

Finally, they shot out from between the two massive pyramids and found themselves on a downwards marble road toward the oasis. Severus could make out the line of a stone wall racing to meet them as they came nearer.

In the distance he could see the shape of a gold silhouette, but he couldn't quite make it out. Then the next thing he knew the chariot was slowing to a stop and Severus could see the massive stone wall rising above him.

It looked ancient and was at least eight feet tall. They had stopped right in front of a tall doorway covered over with a stone arch. On either side of the doorway stood two large stone sphinxes. Their eyes were dull but the moment the chariot stopped in front of the doorway, the sphinxes began to move until they got to their feet. Their stone eyes turned to amber and glowed and their muscles moved as seamlessly as if they had been encased in actual flesh.

The moment the chariot stopped however, a wall of fire roared to life in front of them, so hot it blew the wind back into Severus's face. The twins squeaked and dove behind their father's robes in fright.

Adil dismounted and walked toward the sphinxes, and then to Severus's surprise, he bowed and began to speak quickly in Arabic.

The only words Severus managed to catch were: "أسلاف قد أمرر

And that meant, Ancestors, may I pass?

_What in Merlin's name…..?_

All of a sudden, it seemed as if an ancient chorus of voices had shouted _Legilimens! _Because Severus felt a consciousness seize hold of his and forcibly begin to look through his memories. It was almost like what Director Mubarak had done on his first day at the Institute except it was a million times more powerful.

Severus was frozen where he stood, he couldn't even blink or twitch the edges of his fingers. Sometimes his vision went colored or was spliced into fragments so it appeared as if he were looking through a broken window.

All he could do was breathe and wait for it to be over. It wasn't painful but it was also as if something had taken hold of his brain because he couldn't form an independent thought unless it was first formed by the consciousness that had seized his.

Finally the pressure on his mind disappeared and the sudden loss of it sent Severus reeling. He grabbed hold of the side of the chariot to steady himself and stared at the scenery around him, speechless with disbelief.

Adil had warned him that there were some security measure put around the property, but that was putting it mildly.

"What…..what was that?" Severus stammered. Henry and Ria were both looking at him strangely and he realized with relief that nothing had happened to them.

"Papa? What happened?" Henry asked.

Adil, who seemed to have been subject to the same treatment, got back into the chariot and blew out a breath of air.

"Sorry about that Severus. I suppose I should have gone more in depth about what the security here is like."

He slapped the reins of the chariot and Asif and Zaair pulled the chariot through the tall doorway past the sphinxes that were still watching them and into an enormous garden filled with exotic plants and golden statues.

Severus felt his jaw begin to go slack as he looked around.

A marble road cut through the miles of gardens leading to a door way hundreds of yards away and hundreds of feet tall. The garden itself was quiet and cool and Severus was surprised that the twins weren't pestering to get down and look around, but when he turned to look at them, their eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

Severus could see a tall archway completely cut from rock and hundreds of feet high rising above the surrounding landscape and standing stark against the late evening sky.

Adil snapped the reins on the horses' back and the chariot picked up speed again trotting toward the tall archway.

Finally they reached the archway and passed through into the grounds beyond. Lying directly ahead of them was a long stone pool about a hundred yards in length. It was about five feet deep and colorful mosaic tiles decorated the bottom. The courtyard as at least two hundred feet wide and built similar to the Outer Courtyard of the Mubarak Institute. Stone walls carved with glimmering hieroglyphs lined the sides with stone overhangs reaching slightly into the interior to give shade to those who walked there, and if that wasn't enough, there were towering trees embedded in the emerald green grass which provided more than adequate cover. The pool was also fifty feet wide and glistened in the light of the afternoon sun.

The twins gasped in delight and looked like they were about to bolt from the chariot to the pool.

Something Severus had observed in the past four and a half years of their life was that both Henry and Ria loved water, but Ria especially. She could spend hours playing in the bay that surrounded the Institute.

At the other end of the courtyard was a tall stone archway much like the first that seemed to be leading to the home.

Severus, astonished at the wealth and the history he was seeing turned to his Egyptian friend.

"Adil….the Zaeem Family. How old is it?" Adil smiled and looked as if he was about to impart a great secret.

"We have been dwelling in Egypt since its founding Severus. Our earlier ancestors migrated here from Mesopotamia, and it is said that they were some of the greatest kings. This was before magic existed. Eventually our ancestors caught wind of the great riches of Egypt and moved here to establish their own empires, and we have been here ever since."

"That's incredible!" Severus exclaimed.

Adil smiled. "It is, however, having to learn all about it when we were younger was extremely tedious."

Severus grinned. "I can imagine, when I was in school, the history of Magic and the Founders of wizarding Britain were always everyone's least favorite subjects."

By this time they had reached the end of the courtyard and started to pass through the archway at the far end.

As soon as they did so, Severus felt his jaw drop and the twins gasped in delight.

At the end of his life, Severus would recount that he had never had so many surprises in his life since he came to Egypt.

When they had passed through the archway, Severus and the twins came face to face with a marble road that morphed into a set of steps about fifty yards away that led down to a wide canal or river if one wanted to be politically correct, but it was one of the widest rivers the potions master had ever seen.

As he and the twins looked, he saw that there were boats on the river similar to what they had at the Institute. They were covered over and judging by the way the paddles were moving without any one pulling them, they operated by magic.

Across the river was the most magnificent palace that Severus had ever seen.

The water of the river went nearly to the edge of it and the palace was lined with beautiful and exotic shrubbery on either side, though not so much that it hid the beauty of the palace but not so little that it looked scant.

Rising above the trees and shrubs were hundreds of feet of sun toasted golden sandstone that made up part of the wall of the palace. It was also wasn't simply one building, but three of the same size and rectangular shape that went back for miles.

Once the wall went about halfway up, the beautiful marble and ivory took over.

There was a small ivory balcony atop the golden stand stone and lined with a white guard rails also made of ivory and fashioned into an elegant design. Standing atop the guardrail every twenty feet were elegant white sphinxes in kneeling positions. Behind it and the balcony there was a gilded pattern made of green limestone and gold that made up the wall leading even farther up. It drove inward a few feet and then jutted outward again to make a small protrusion in the wall until it stopped and a series of white marble pillars took its place. The pillars held up the wall where it continued, but Severus could see that there were rooms and empty spaces behind the pillars as the red stone of the wall could be seen farther back behind the supports. Finally where the pillars ended, the wall began again and rose up to form a crown design and pushed inward to where Severus saw that this level consisted of hanging gardens and beautiful shrubs that hung down over the sides of the wall.

The entirety of the palace itself seemed to consist of layers that led up to a point where Severus could see what looked like a small temple at the top that as lined with white pillars, but was of the same make as the rest of the palace.

Severus didn't think that his eyes could take it all in. The air was sweet and fresh and cool, a welcome and surprising change from the heat of the desert although he was sure that it came from the river. The other three buildings were built in much the same manner and while he could tell that they were ancient there was also something very new about them. In some ways the three palaces reminded him a bit of pictures he had seen of the hanging gardens of Babylon.

Next to the palace on the right side was a marble staircase much like the one that led down to the water on their side which led up and curved to the left to lead whatever visitors there were to the palace.

Severus realized his mouth had fallen open and he had been utterly silent for the last two minutes just taking it all in. The twins were no less amazed and for once in their short lives, they were quiet too.

"Are you alright?" Adil asked looking confused.

"You live here?" Severus asked, tone slightly hushed with sheer amazement at the wealth he was seeing. It felt as if history had come alive and he was witnessing it firsthand.

"Yes," Adil asked still looking a little confused. Then understanding cleared his face and he chuckled.

"I take it the prominent pureblood families back in England and Europe don't have houses like this?" he asked.

Severus blew out a breath and laughed. "They're large, but they're not palaces like this," he said.

"Well," Adil said. "I've lived here my whole life so I suppose the size is simply something I become used to."

"How in Merlin's name, could you become _used _to a place like this?" Severus asked incredulously. I thought that my old school of Hogwarts was the most magnificent place I had ever seen, but this outshines it by a million times!"

"It's so pretty Papa," Ria put in and Henry nodded vigorously.

"It is," their father agreed, "And we get to spend the rest of the evening here, so I want the two of you to be on your best behaviour. Am I clear?"

"Yes Papa," they said in perfect unison.

"Well come along then."

The small group of four made for the stairs that led down to the water's edge and Adil put his fingers to his lips and gave a long shrill whistle. Just like at the Institute, a long narrow boat appeared in front of him.

Severus helped the twins into the boat and Adil got in last before he called out a word in Arabic and the small craft lurched forward.

When they had reached the middle of the river, Severus took that moment to look up stream at the sight took his breath away.

The sun was beginning to set and it had just touched the top of the pyramids that framed the whole area that was the Zaeem family home or palace…..or whatever one would call it. The rays were turning everything they touched to gold.

An odd feeling came over the potions master in that moment, the feeling of belonging. Not just with the new friends he had made, but in Egypt in general. He had loved the last four years with his aunt and cousin in Italy, but he had always felt as if something was missing. And now he knew what it was.

Purpose.

A slight tugging on his robes brought his attention downward to see that Ria was trying to get his attention.

"I like it here Papa? Can we stay?" she asked.

Severus gave her a soft smile before bending down to pick up the little girl so she could see out over the side of the boat and into the sunset.

"We don't live here Ria. But maybe if we ask Adil nicely, we can come back again. How does that sound?"

Ria considered that for a moment before she smiled. "That's good too Papa."

Severus nodded and set his daughter down. He turned to face the staircase on the opposite side of the river that was rapidly coming into view and blinked when he made out a figure standing there and it appeared as if they were waiting for them.

As they got closer, Severus could see that it was a woman. She was wearing a long floor-length white dress that was clasped at the shoulders with golden fasteners and her long waist length black hair was braided down one side so that it fell across her shoulder.

Wait a minute…..

Severus turned to his friend who was still piloting the boat and gave him a panicked look.

"Um Adil, I know you said you had a sister…..is she the one that's waiting for us on the stairs?" he asked gesturing to the woman that was rapidly growing nearer.

Adil squinted and grinned when he saw who Severus was referring to.

"Yes, that's my sister Jasmina, I asked that she be there to greet us."

An odd choking noise came from the potion master's throat and his friend gave him a concerned look.

"Severus are you alright?"

"You didn't tell me that she was your sister," Severus said in a voice that was half strangled. Adil gave him an odd look.

"You didn't ask."

Severus said nothing, but inside he was spinning. In a completely obtuse way, it all made sense. He should have put two and two together! He knew that Jasmina was the youngest of nine brothers because the twins had told him and he knew that Adil had only one sister. So why hadn't he seen it?

By this time, the boat was only a few feet away from docking at the foot of the marble staircase. Severus began to feel as if an octopus was playing a drum solo inside of his chest cavity as Jasmina came more fully into view.

There are often times when an object of your affection appears in a certain light, and when they are in that light it seems as if they are the only people there, there is no one else around but the two of you. And that picture is forever framed in your mind as something special. It doesn't matter if what you feel for that person is romantic or platonic, as long as they are special to you, that feeling will be remembered forever.

And there was only one person whose appearance, the light and picture they created had such a profound impact on Severus.

And that person was Lily.

Severus swallowed hard as the boat docked and the beautiful Egyptian came to meet them. The twins by now had seen her and were clamoring to get out of the boat so they could get to their favorite teachers.

Adil opened the small door on the side of the boat, allowing them to disembark and the twins practically shot through it like bats from a lit cave.

"Miss Mina! Miss Mina!" they exclaimed in their small four year voices, each clamoring for her attention.

Jasmina bent down and gave each child a gentle hug before getting to her feet to address their father who was standing a few feet away nervously.

"Severus, it's good to see you," she said before reaching out and taking hold of one of his hands. The two were oblivious to the knowing look on Adil's face who had caught hold of Henry and Ria's hands.

After a second where Severus and Jasmina were quietly talking, Adil cleared his throat, effectively getting their attention.

"Shall we go in?" he asked, gesturing to the white staircase ahead of them.

Jasmina gave Severus's hand a slight squeeze before letting it go so the twins could grab hold of her hands.

No more was said as the three adults and two children slowly made their way up the stairs and turned when it led them sharply to the left toward the arches of the front of the palace.

It was even more magnificent up close. Every color was augmented and every line better defined, every shape more pronounced.

Severus found himself face to face with a tall archway made completely of sandstone and inlaid with gold. His view of the interior part of the palace which he assumed to be the entryway, was blocked by the presence of two tall reed plants impeding his way.

Adil snapped his fingers and instantly the plants parted to reveal an astonishing outer courtyard.

There appeared to be an enormous skylight opening up to let in the light of the evening sun, but Severus couldn't feel the breeze that should have been coming through, and then realized it was obviously due to some kind of enchantment.

As he looked around to the scenery that was at eye level, he say that the space directly below the enormous skylight was white ivory tiles and lining the interesting clearing were tall pillars that were at least thirty feet high and made of the same ivory white pearl that the clearing floor was made of.

Looking around, Severus thought absently that Egyptians must be very fond of sandstone, and ivory, both in the past and in the present.

At the very top and bottom of the pillars were intricate designs in salmon gold and turquoise colors, although the middle part of the pillars was stark white. The walls that were covered over by the slight ceiling just inside of the enormous skylight were covered in hieroglyphs that flashed every so often. There was an elegant table off to the side of the marble floored entryway beneath the skylight and directly ahead of the small group was a tall set of pillars which held up the opposite part of the ceiling. On the rim right by the skylight and just underneath it was the painted figure of a red bird with its wings spread wide and head turned to the left. A small wall separated it from the room beyond but the wall was parted in the middle so they could walk through it.

The air was fresh and cool and smelled lightly of incense which seemed to be coming from the hanging lanterns that were lit throughout the chamber.

Severus realized he had stopped walking and was looking around him with a look of complete wonderment on his face.

Jasmina who was walking ahead of them, the twins holding her hands, stopped and looked back at him, a slightly confused look on her beautiful face.

"Are you alright Severus?" she asked, and the potions master blinked, tuning back in to what was happening around him.

"Yes, its just that I'm not used to seeing such extravagance," he said honestly. Adil had already gone ahead, most likely to prepare the way and in his own mind, deciding to give the two of them some privacy.

It was obvious to him that Severus liked his sister and the feeling was mutual. Jasmina was closer to him then she was to her other brothers because of their closeness in age and so he often saw things that none of the others did.

The way her eyes watched Severus was one indication.

"It can be a bit overwhelming at first," she agreed. "We don't have visitors from outside of Egypt very often and you are the first in a long while."

"Is that why Adil invited us?"

"In part," she replied. "It was also because he felt you needed to connect with others outside of the Institute and who better to start with then his own family?"

"An apt question," Severus muttered to both her and himself.

By this time, the two of them had passed through the barrier dividing the room in two and into the space beyond where there was a tall doorway covered in flashing hieroglyphs.

"Why do the markings shine?" Severus asked.

"They are the ancient wards," Jasmina replied. "They shine and flash to alert us to what might appear on our borders. In a sense we are a kingdom, one that is three thousand years in the making."

And then she led him through the archway and into the past.

Ω

The mysticism of Egypt is renowned for being the most potent, enticing, and intriguing the world over. And one of the many reasons for this is it's tied to the ancient world how much it can emulate the past and rejoice in it.

That is why when Severus and the twins stepped through the doorway into the outside courtyard between the palaces, he was greeted with one such example of the mysticism that was calling to him.

It appeared as if a party was going on because at least seventy people were milling around, talking in rapid fire Arabic. They wore strange and beautiful clothes which looked more muggle then wizard, however, Severus had never seen wizards dress so fine.

The clothing color of choice seemed to be black or gold or both. The hair of the women was adorned with gold and shot through with black pearls. Because of the heat of the day, most of the shoulders of the women were bare and the skin of their upper arms was decked with golden bands. Their skin was olive toned and soft looking.

The men wore similar adornments, yet most wore black. Their heads were bare yet it was long and brushed the tops of their shoulders with a slight curl.

There were many children playing between the legs of the adults and on the corners of the terraces. Sparks of light were cast into the night air and the atmosphere was one of laughter and peace.

The courtyard was a wide marble patio and completely open to the dying sunlight and the breeze off of the river. There were four golden braziers in each corner of the marble terrace to light the area, yet the floor was still warm from the heat of the sun.

There were red reed mats every few inches similar to the ones at the Institute that Severus and his classmates sat upon to listen to the potions master and to stir their cauldrons. They lined the outside of the marble patio and outside of the manmade structure, Severus beheld papyrus and lotus plants and bushes which separated the terrace from the water of the river.

Just inside of the square of reed mats there were long low tables laden with food, there wonderful smell was permeating the air and making Severus's mouth water.

He saw lamb and cooked fowl, as well as goat, quail, gazelle and crane and fish. There were all variety and manner of vegetables and fruits sitting in bowls and ceremonial dishes. There were cheeses and breads as well as beans and lentils.

However the growling in Severus's stomach was not enough to quell the rising tide of anxiety he was feeling and it must have shown on his face because Jasmina gave him a concerned look as they stood at the top of the short stairs taking it all in.

"Are you alright?"

Severus swallowed hard and gave a nervous laugh. "Adil told me this would be a dinner with just the family. I wasn't expecting a party."

"This is the family," Jasmina replied calmly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Severus, I have nine older brothers. They all have wives and have produced at least ten children each. Then there are the families of their wives, some live among us as well. The sum of the people who live here is about fifty."

Severus barely noticed that his children had finished staring at the scene before them and had noticed the other children who looked around their age, frolicking on the edges of the party. They began tugging at the sides of his robes to get his attention when he looked down, they eagerly pointed to the other children.

"Papa, may we go play?"

Severus glanced at Jasmina who gave him a short nod that it was alright. She nodded over to the small crowd of children. "Those are my younger cousins. They all speak English very well. It was taught to them by their parents for their desire is for them to succeed. The twins will be welcomed."

Severus looked at Henry and Ria's eager eyes and gave an inward sigh. He knelt down so that they were eyelevel.

"I want the two of you to play nicely with the others. Be polite, do not shout or be rude. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes Papa."

"Go on then."

Henry grabbed Ria's hand and the two raced off toward the other children. Severus watched them for a moment before turning his attention back to Jasmina.

"What happens now?" he asked.

The beautiful Egyptian smiled. "Now I introduce you to the most important members of the family and after that…..well after that then the night can begin."

Ω

Meanwhile Henry and Ria had hurried over to the small group of children playing and as soon as they got there, a boy who looked about five and playing with the other stopped and looked at them.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Henry pointed to himself when he spoke and then at his sister after. "I'm Henry and that's Ria."

"I'm Naveen," the little boy said. He was dressed similar Henry but he didn't have a charm like they did around his neck, and Ria wondered if he went to school somewhere else.

"Do you want to come and play?" Naveen asked and the twins nodded eagerly.

"Come on!" Naveen said and grabbed Ria's hand, pulling her and Henry along into the circle with the other children.

The game seemed to be quite simple. There were a series of trees along the clearing of the marble terrace and in the branches and on the leaves of these trees were hundreds of beautiful golden butterflies.

"They're so pretty!" Ria said in delight."

Naveen nodded eagerly. "Come on, we have to catch all of them. My daddy says that once we do that, we have to put them in jars and they'll light up the night."

Eagerly, Henry and Ria grabbed two of the colorful jars and hurried off with the other children to catch the golden butterflies.

Along the way, Naveen introduced them to some of the other children. He was one of the older one and was almost six.

"That's Amir," Naveen pointed at a little boy with chestnut brown hair and an olive complexion with dark eyes. He was dressed in a brown tunic the same as the other children.

There was also Ali, Amina, Basil, Dima, Ibrahim, Farida, Fatima, Hakeem, and Hanan. They were all between the ages of four and six, but it was surprising that Henry and Ria didn't really care at all that they weren't part of the family because children have a unique ability to be completely unbiased when dealing with others.

Henry and Ria were accepted immediately and dragged along with the other children in order to chase the butterflies. They got down off the marble terrace and onto the large plain of grasses, reeds and tall trees which bordered the river and chased after the creatures that were startling to light the night sky.

Ω

Meanwhile, Severus wasn't having as good of a time as his children simply because he was being introduced to a large group of people he had never met.

Thankfully, Adil and Jasmina were beside him, helping to translate if things were said too quickly, but Severus was actually feeling alright with the way he was responding and interacting with the dinner guests.

At least until he was introduced to Jasmina's father Zafeer Zaeem.

Before he came to Egypt, the most powerful man that Severus had ever met was Albus Dumbledore, and even the British Headmaster was nowhere near as powerful as Navid Mubarak. Just Severus was beginning to reevaluate his opinion of most powerful men he had ever met to a tie.

Jasmina's father had this presence about him that all but rumbled with power. His face was peppered with stubble and the beginnings of a dark beard. He was dressed in a long black tunic that brushed the floor and a simple gold chain that hung to his waist bearing an Egyptian hieroglyph of a falcon with its wings spread.

Jasmina would later tell him that it was the symbol of the Zaeem family.

The Zaeem head was standing at the edge of the marble terrace that stood just in front of the tall trees and shrubs that bordered the river.

A cool breeze blew across the open terrace and Severus took a deep breath as he waited for the introduction that was both nervous and excited for.

Jasmina led him over to the tall, powerfully built man and waited until he had finished speaking to two other tall men who looked startlingly like Adil.

As soon as they were gone, Jasmina stepped forward took her father's hands in her and kissed them lightly before turning to the potions master beside her.

Severus had learned during the past eight weeks in Egypt that the magical community of the country was very tight knit and quite big on ceremony. Tradition was everything to them, but when he had questioned Adil about their beliefs on Muggleborns, the Egyptian had laughed.

_"__Severus, the entire magical world came from non-magical people. It wasn't as if it has always existed. Magic was either discovered in select individuals who then married other individuals with select abilities. That is how magic really came about. Can we trace our magical lines back thousands of years? Certainly. But that doesn't really mean anything. All the world was Muggle at one time. And those who think themselves better than those for whom magic is fresh….are hypocrites."_

Severus was thankful that that at least was something that he understood. He was a pureblood by adoption, but he knew what it made meant to be a ridiculed half-blood.

So when Zafeer turned his golden eyes on him, he didn't immediately start shaking in his shoes like he might have done had he been back in England.

"Father may I present to you, Severus Andronicus," Adil said formally right after taking his turn to bow to the elder Zaeem.

There was a moment of silence where Zafeer looked the young man over. Jasmina had said little about him when she was home, but he had questioned Adil the previous day and after applying the right about of inquiry, Adil told him everything.

Adil and Jasmina, being the youngest of Zafeer's children had always been pleasantly close. They conveyed everything to each other and Jasmina had never hesitated to tell her brother if something was troubling her.

His son had described the Severus as highly intelligent, motivated and ambitious. He was only twenty six years of age and had received his gold cauldron in Europe. He was also a father of twins and raising them it seemed mostly on his own. Inwardly, Zafeer was impressed, he never let any expression show on his face other than completely indifference, and the only ones who could see through the mask one hundred percent of the time was his wife. His children could as through too, but not as well.

"I understand that you are the first international apprentice the Institute has had in a long while, is that correct?" he asked and Severus sucked on his teeth to stop a grimace.

Jasmina's father's voice was low and rumbling, almost like the Directors, it also spoke of years of wisdom and high intelligence that only time and experience could bring. Adil had said that the two men were friends so it wasn't hard to make the leap. He was a head taller than everyone else at the party, but his thick black hair was long and hung to the middle of his back. It wasn't scraggly but carefully groomed. However it was his eyes that got Severus. They were the same shade of molten gold as Jasmina's and come to think of it, Adil's as well. Severus had never seen such a hue before and he made a mental note to ask his friend about it later.

"Yes, sir," he replied keeping his eyes lowered respectfully.

If he had looked up he would have seen Zafeer slightly raise an eyebrow at his daughter.

"I have also been told that the gift of fatherhood has been bestowed upon you also at such a young age. Are your children here as well?"

"They are," Severus replied carefully. "They wanted to go and play with some of the other children."

He glanced and saw that they were playing along the edges of the terrace with about eleven other children, all of whom had the same tanned skin, olive complexion and golden eyes. The only difference were their facial features.

"Henricus and Ilaria," he said and pointed to the only green eyed children among the small group and both of Zafeer's eye brows shot up.

"Beautiful offspring," he said and Severus nodded in thanks. "Their eyes are a gift from their mother I presume?"

Jasmina shot her father a look but Severus only smiled sadly. "They are. She was a red head, had the greenest eyes I've ever seen."

Zafeer gave a short nod and left the subject alone. For the next few moments, he and Severus spoke on Severus's desire for coming to the Institute.

Jasmina had relaxed when her father turned away from the subject of the twins. She could tell that the subject of the past was painful for Severus and the last thing she wanted to do was cause him pain or regret when this was supposed to be an enjoyable evening.

After a time however, the conversation between the younger and older man drew to a close. And then Zafeer turned to the rest of the patrons.

"My friends, now that the last of our guests have arrived, we may partake of the meal before us. But first, the night must be christened." He stopped here and clenched his right fist into a ball before it started to shake.

No, correction, he started to shake his hand and it began to move so fast it reminded Severus of the wing beat of a hummingbird.

After around ten seconds of this, Zafeer opened his fist and a golden and black shape leapt from his palm and into the night sky. It whirled for a moment and then spread itself wide and Severus saw with astonishment that it had turned into a massive falcon. It hovered in the air for a moment until it dissolved into a shower of golden sparkles which fell onto the upturned faces of the dinner guests causing them to gasp and applaud in delight amidst the laughter of the children.

Zafeer raised his hands and his voice seemed to be magically projected to it really resembled rolling thunder.

"Let the feast begin!"

Ω

**Wow...sorry about the delay guys, its been pretty busy around here with exams and work. I realized something while I was working on this and that was that most of this story is mine. I mean, I don't own Harry and Severus of course, but everything since coming to Egypt, I do. I own Isabelle/Ilaria Emilia and Tony and the Mubarak Institute and all of the people and magics associated with it as well as Jasmina and the Zaeem family. I guess the reason I have such a soft spot for this story is because most of it is my own creation and knowing that you guys really enjoy it gives me this big confidence boost because I'm always wary of putting things that I've created online because I'm never sure if they'll be liked. But this one was. So I just want to say thank you for that and please continue to read and review. Happy Reading guys! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Never in all of his life had Severus seen such extravagance. The Zaeems certainly knew how to throw a party, but it wasn't gaudy or overdone or even over the top. There was a subtle sophistication to everything that they did.

After the impressive display with the falcon at the beginning of the feast, Severus began to think that he should get used to being surprised.

Zafeer had him sit at his right and Adil at his left. The plush rugs and mats arrayed on the marble flooring of the terrace overlooking the river were surprisingly comfortable. The tables were low and filled to collapsing with food and there was a heavenly scent on the air.

Severus looked for Jasmina but nodded in satisfaction when he saw that she had gone to eat with some of the children and to help keep them in line He saw her glance every so often toward the twins. He was unaware that he had been watching her closely until he felt an elbow in his ribs jerking him back to the present.

He blinked realizing that Zafeer had said something which was the reason for Adil's elbow in his side.

"I'm sorry sir, would you mind repeating that? I don't think that I heard you," he said quickly. Zafeer raised an eyebrow but said nothing pertaining to Severus's ability not to focus.

"I merely inquired as to your desire to pursue potions as an occupation," Zafeer said calmly. "What drove you down the path you are on?"

At first Severus was a little uncomfortable because the man's gaze was so intense, but after a moment he relaxed because he realized that it was only because the Zaeem patriarch was giving him his full attention.

"I first began to love the discipline when my mother began to teach me when I was six. She was a very talented brewer and made sure I knew more than most other children before I went to school."

"Your position here can certainly attest to that," Zafeer mused and Severus waited a bit anxiously for the next question.

"You are formerly an Italian?" Zafeer asked and Severus had to fight the urge to squirm because they were nearing more personal topics.

"Yes sir, it is the place I consider to be my home, but I was born in England," he replied carefully.

"I see, Zafeer mused. "And you are on fellowship with the Institute for the next seven years is that correct?"

"It is," Severus replied wondering why Jasmina's father was asking so many questions. He licked his lips and swallowed hard, trying to remember that he wasn't under interrogation. It seemed like the Egyptians were very curious of outsiders.

Zafeer Zaeem was a tall man, powerfully built like the Director of the Institute, but he also had this aura that almost burned like fire. It created a searing like sensation that made Severus both uncomfortable and intrigued. There was a slight greying at his temples and like Jasmina and Adil, he had eyes of burnished gold and bronze.

Severus remembered Sybil Trelawney in school and how she had claimed to be a Seer. But she was never more than an oddity to him. Someone to be talked about in private and to be guessed at for her authenticity was always something that was called into question.

But Zafeer seemed to be the kind who could not only see into the future but also had the ability to change what he saw to fit his own needs.

If he had been at Hogwarts, he would have been a Slytherin through and through. There was nothing about his physical appearance that was snake like, but he possessed the same kind of cunning that would have made him a match for Salazar Slytherin.

It was then that Severus made a mental note to impress this man for no other reason than to learn from him. He had been astonished upon meeting Director Mubarak and even more so after meeting Jasmina's father.

He raised the jeweled goblet of wine that was sitting to the right of him on one of the long low tables in front of him and lifted it to his lips.

There were four enormous bronze braziers burning golden fire into the air as the sky darkened to a sapphire blue. Severus could hear the chirp of the crickets near the river behind him and the call of the birds as they swooped over the terrace on their way to their nests for the night. There was also the rush of the powerful river and the cool breeze that swept away the last of the heat.

There was laughter as the guests ate and reclined on their mats in the square around the terrace. The fare was both strange and delicious and Severus had to make sure that he ate as much as he dared without appearing greedy.

Jasmina had told him that this would be a family gathering, but she had neglected to mention what an enormous family she had and she was related to each one. They all wore strange and beautiful clothes that shimmered and danced in the light as if they were alive.

Severus glanced around and nodded when he saw the children sitting and eating with Jasmina off to the side. She was saying something to the twins and happened to look up at Severus in that exact moment. She gave him a small smile, and Severus felt a strange tug in his heart, an odd yearning that was both foreign and yet entirely familiar.

He blinked and glanced away to look at his children, both of whom looked inordinately happy. They were both talking to a small boy sitting between them who was excitedly talking and waving his hands about as he attempted to illustrate something.

"Severus, might I ask what you plan on doing as soon as your fellowship with the Institute reaches its conclusion?"

The potions master twisted his hands in his lap. Truthfully, he didn't really know. He knew that he wanted to reapply for fellowship as he was quickly coming to see this place as his home and he knew the twins were as well.

If they had to leave their new friends and Jasmina behind after knowing them for a period of seven years, the results weren't likely to be good ones.

"I think that I will reapply for fellowship and hope that my results over the next seven years will speak for themselves as to why I should be accepted again."

"A very shrewd answer," Zafeer said and Severus blew out a quiet sigh of relief. The man had a way of keeping him on his toes with every question and Severus felt as if he were verbally taking his OWLs all over again.

"If I might ask a question sir?" Severus asked tentatively and Zafeer gave him his full attention. "Please."

"How old is your family? Because I am looking around and seeing the incredible wealth and prestige as well as the obvious power and I suddenly struck me that this might be a place as old as magic itself."

"Very neatly surmised Severus. You would be correct. The Zaeem family is as old as Egypt itself and it was here that magic first originated. Did you know magic was first given to mortals by a goddess?"

Severus felt his eyes grow large. He had never been told the story of how magic first came into being, just that it had always existed. "No sir."

"Allow me to impart the story then. The goddess Isis was one of the most powerful deities to walk the earth, but she didn't enjoy spending much time with the other gods as she found their company mundane and tedious. It came to pass that she was walking the desert sands one day and came across a large city where she chanced upon a young man who had retrieved a cripple's belongings from a young thief who had tried to make off with them.

Touched by his compassion, the goddess decided to speak with him and learned that the young man's name was Jafar Zaeem. He was the son of the chief vizier to the pharaoh and quite influential as he was the only heir.

After spending a great deal of time together, the two developed a mutual bond and Isis decided not to return to the gods and remained in Egypt with Jafar. They married and established a home. This home in fact."

At this point, Zafeer gestured to the surrounding area and Severus felt his jaw slacken at the implications the man was drawing.

"That would mean that your family is descended from a goddess," he almost whispered and Zafeer gave him a small smile. "Indeed. And it is her magic that protects our home to this day. We do not believe in blood wards Severus as they are faulty and likely to fail. The magic of a goddess however, cannot be undone because her magic is beyond the understanding of mortals like ourselves. We are descended from her and there are many things she taught our ancestors that I myself do not understand."

"This is incredible," Severus whispered. He had truly never thought of the way that magic had come into being and had assumed that it had always simply been. Yet Zafeer's version made such sense. Magic had been a gift. One way or another, they were all descended from Muggles. And in a way, Zafeer's line all consisted of half-bloods.

_So that would mean that Jasmina is descended from a goddess as well, _Severus thought and wondered for a moment why he had.

Zafeer had grown quiet and the younger man decided to turn back to his food as his stomach was still clamoring for attention.

Ω

Meanwhile, the twins and their new friends had finished eating.

"Do you guys want to see something neat?" Naveen asked as he leaned over to the twins. Farida and Amir leaned in closer as well.

"Yeah!" Henry nodded eagerly.

"Well come on then!" Naveen whispered and after carefully checking around to make sure that no one was watching them, Henry and Ria followed the other three off the platform and down the small stairs into the shrubbery between the palaces.

As they walked, golden butterflies flitted across their path and Ria had to remind herself to not look at everything around her for fear of her and Henry getting lost.

Naveen led the small group of children through the clusters of trees up to the bank of the river. The five children stood on the bank. All of a sudden, Henry saw a peculiar glow.

"Look, look what's that?" he cried out and the children hurried forward to look. Ria crouched at the edge of the bank and Farida knelt down next to her.

Clustered at the edge of the riverbank were about half a dozen brilliantly colored golden fish. They were swimming around and over each other as if they glimpsed the children and were waiting to be given food.

"My daddy says that they're called Luck Fish," Amir explained. "He told me a story that the Luck Fish know where all the luck in the world is and if we follow them, then we'll find luck too."

The twins looked at their new friends, excited.

"Let's follow them," Ria whispered, eyes wide. The fish had already begun to swim away, but for some reason were keeping close to the bank so the children could keep up.

Henry, Ria, Naveen, Farida and Amir hurried along the bank after them. They had no idea where they were going, but all they knew was that they were on some kind of grand adventure and it would criminal to let it end with questions.

They followed the fish along the river bank for about ten minutes before the ground cut swiftly to the right. The children followed it and in another five minutes, found themselves in front of a tall palace similar to the one they had gone through with their father. Although this one appeared to be made entirely of gold, ivory and sandstone. There was a canal cutting through it, and the fish swam through into the place.

"Come on," Amir urged. "They're getting away!"

Not wasting any more time, the children followed the colorful fish into the palace and hurried down the long stone corridor. It reminded Ria a little bit like the Institute, with its tall stone pillars and rock tiled floors. The hieroglyphs were different however, they were varying shades of black and gold. There was a skylight high above them which opened onto the night and they could see the bright stars ahead. The place was so long that they couldn't see the end of it no matter how hard they tried.

Farida grabbed Henry and Ria's hands and pulled them along further into the palace, following the fish. In the light the golden colored animals seemed to become larger as they led the children deep into the palace. There were many twists and turns taken and many downhill and uphill trails and still the cluster of fish led them deeper.

It wasn't until they turned one final corner and came face to face with an enormously tall statue that they stopped.

It was the same as the statue of Isis in the Institute, but this one was made of solid gold and at least twelve feet tall.

"Daddy told me about this place," Farida whispered. "He said that the spirit of Isis is still here and that she protects our home."

The golden statue was standing in the middle of the canal with the water pouring over and around its feet. Farther down the hall there were more stone pillars with gold and black hieroglyphs and more unexplored corridors, but the golden fish didn't go any further, they just swam around the base of the statue before swimming back the way that they came.

Not wanting to get lost, the children turned and hurried after them, but Ria kept glancing back until the statue was out of sight. Something about it made her want to come back.

Fortunately the fish led them back outside the palace and back to the river where they dispersed from the clump they were in and swam away.

"Well that was fun," Ria said and Amir nodded eagerly. "We still haven't caught all the butterflies, wanna do that now?"

They hurried to collect the last of the jars and began chasing after the golden butterflies who were still decorating the night sky.

Ω

Severus felt as if he had been put through the wringer by the time it was time to leave. He had engaged in intense discussions between Zafeer Zaeem and many of Jasmina's uncles and brothers by the time the night was through.

As soon as they got back to the apparition point, Henry and Ria were practically falling asleep. It was all Severus could do not to fall asleep himself as he put them to bed.

But as exhausting as it was, it had been a great night. It had been a shock at first to see Jasmina there and then find out that she was Adil's sister. The sheer extravagance had blown his mind.

Zafeer told him that their family was three thousand years old and had even recounted an old myth of their founding. Supposedly, the goddess Isis had bonded to their founder, a mortal named Jafar, who she gave magic to and he became a powerful sorcerer with the ability to pass the gift of magic on to whomever he chose. And of course he did to all of his descendants.

This had interested Severus to such an extent that he had asked for the specifics as it was a story he had never heard the like of before. It had always been a wonder to him how exactly, magic had originated, but it was never something that had been explored.

Zafeer had told him that Isis had been very selective with who she had chosen to give magic to. She was the goddess of magic and considered it to be a very precious gift. She chose Jafar because he was the only one that came close to her standards and because she had seen something different inside of him.

When their children were born, she had told him that they all possessed the gift as they were directly from his and her bloodline. They could give magic to whomever they chose and make them members of the Zaeem family. It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, young or old, they had to be deemed as worthy of receiving it. And that was how they had managed to keep their bloodline pure. The Zaeem family judged on the basis of character. The goddess had to select whether they were worthy enough to receive magic, and the word of a deity was indisputable, even the purebloods in England could attest to that.

It made Severus feel very impressed that such an old and powerful family, the oldest one in Egypt and certainly one of the oldest in the world, had such a neutral stance on magic usage and who adhered to its practice, no matter their birth.

Henry and Ria seemed to get along very well with the children and had been chattering almost the whole boat ride back about Amir, Farida and Naveen. The three of them were cousins and the children of Jasmina's older brothers. Adil wasn't married, but Severus wasn't sure how long that status would remain. Zafeer had been pressuring the youngest Zaeem male and Jasmina to marry. Zafeer didn't care for blood but he also wanted the Zaeem name to continue and Severus could understand that certainly. They were probably the oldest line in the world, and had been remarkably blessed because most of the children born to them had been males. That was not to say that females weren't important, however the more males, the more the future of the Zaeem family was assured.

Severus sighed and began to get ready for bed, still thinking about the night.

The whole of the Zaeem home had astonished him, not only the obvious wealth, but the history and the splendor. The food had been pleasing and the display of magic nothing short of breathtaking. It still boggled his mind that everyone in this country knew wandless magic, and more importantly, that his children were studying the discipline as well as Muggle practices. It was a best of both worlds approach and he was more than thrilled with it.

The twins had begged to go back and play with Farida, Naveen and Amir, and Severus couldn't think of a good reason to deny their request. He himself was longing to see more of the Zaeem family home.

_Would Jasmina have something to do with that line of thinking? _A small voice in his head asked. Severus blinked but ignored it.

He had had a tremendous time tonight, he wasn't going to spoil it with thoughts of confusion. It wouldn't be fair.

All of a sudden, the fire in his hearth blazed a bright green which meant that someone was calling him.

Severus knelt by the fire and within a few seconds, his aunt's head had appeared in the flames.

"Severus! It's about time that I heard from you, it's been weeks! How are you, how are my grandchildren? You're all eating I hope?"

Severus began to laugh. "Slow down Aunt Emilia, everything is fine. The twins and I are eating three square meals a day, they're asleep right now because we were invited out for the evening and got back late."

"I hope my grandchildren are getting enough sleep Severus, they're only four years old and a systematic sleep schedule is key for them," Emilia said stiffly.

"So is an adequate amount of play time and exposure to other children," Severus replied smiling. "And they received both of those in full tonight."

"Hmph," Emilia responded, but Severus knew she wasn't put out. He grinned and proceeded to tell his aunt a little bit about the night they had had, all the people they had met and what the place was really like. She seemed to be pretty impressed.

"Well I'm very glad you and the twins are adjusting. And the practice of teaching them wandless magic as well as Muggle studies is an ingenious combination. What are their teachers like?"

Severus hesitated, he wasn't sure if he should let her in about Jasmina, but decided to test the waters first. He described their learning system and what they were being taught in greater detail, hinting that their teachers were all female and very qualified.

"And what about you Severus? How have you been adjusting?" Emilia asked and her nephew fell silent.

"I've been doing very well. But I've been doing well ever since I got out of England, you know that. I'm learning more than I ever thought there was to know about the uses of scorpion venom and I've found the instructors and mentors here quite helpful." He paused then gave a sort of small chuckle. "It's amazing here actually. Everything isn't so…..restricted here like it was in Europe. There's so much more imagination and spontaneity with everything that's done at the Institute. They're more open to new ideas and new methods. I don't have to worry about my ideas for lycanthropy getting shot down because people are too prejudiced to see past their own noses."

He stopped when he realized his aunt was smiling at him. "What?"

"Nothing…..it's just I haven't seen you smile like that in a long time. As if you didn't have a care in the world and were just happy to be learning."

"Aunt Emilia, ever since I started living with you for good, I've been happy. Ever since I found out about the twins, I've been happy. Being happy isn't really an issue for me right now."

"Yes, I know, but alongside Antonius, your happiness is paramount for me Severus. I want to make sure that you and the twins are not working too hard alright?"

"Yes Aunt Emilia."

"Good, now tell me about this Jasmina."

Merlin, he was going to kill Tony.

"Jasmina is one of the instructors who teaches the twins at school. They've taken quite a shine to her. I met her brother in one of my classes and it was he who invited us to the family home for the evening," Severus replied carefully. He didn't want to throw his aunt too much of a bone because he figured the moment he mentioned a female in his life she would start picking out bouquets for the wedding.

"I see. Tony tells me that you've said she's very attractive," Emilia said coyly and Severus barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "I think beauty must be a Zaeem family gene, Aunt, Emilia, they're all attractive."

"But she is the only female, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well then that makes her doubly as attractive as her brothers. Imagine growing up in a house full of boys with no sister!"

This time Severus did roll his eyes. Sometimes his aunt really was ridiculous. He decided it was time to change the subject.

"Tell me about life in Italy, how are things there?" he asked and to his relief Emilia took the bait. It wasn't that Severus didn't want to talk about Jasmina, it was just that he wasn't ready yet. He felt both guilty and excited when he thought about her and now that he knew she was….one one hundredth goddess, it made her a bit more intimidating. As far as he was concerned, the less Emilia knew about Jasmina right now the better.

"You should know that your old professor stopped by the other day."

Severus blinked and tuned back into the conversation. Now _that _was interesting.

"Professor McGonagall?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "She wanted to check in and see how the twins were doing and was quite surprised when I told her that the twins weren't here and that you were in Egypt studying at the Mubarak Institute. You forgot to tell her you had left didn't you?"

Severus cursed under his breath. In all the excitement of leaving Egypt and him and the twins settling into their new life, he had completely forgotten to let his favorite teacher know.

"I'm sorry Aunt Emilia, it completely slipped my mind, I'll be sure to send her a letter and let her know how the twins and I are doing," he said.

"Good, but when you're through with that, she also had a letter for you. She was going to deliver it personally, but when I told her where you were, she asked if I could send it using our owl. She said it was very important."

Severus frowned. He wondered what it could be. "Did she say what it was?"

"Only that it had something to do with the school headmaster and she didn't want it getting intercepted on its way out of England."

Severus sat up. Now that was interesting as well. "Did you mail already?" he asked.

"Of course I did, this afternoon. It should reach you soon enough."

At that very moment, there was a tapping at the window and Severus blinked in surprise. He said goodbye to his aunt and hurried to open the glass. Hovering outside was Archimedes his aunt's golden owl. Attached to Archie's leg was a thick envelope.

Severus brought the owl in and gave it some water before untying the letter and tearing it open.

_Dear Severus_

_I wanted to deliver this personally as I feel it might be too dangerous to send by owl. I have a strange feeling that all the mail being sent to and from Hogwarts is being monitored by the headmaster. I may just be feeling paranoid but since the war was won four years ago, but I still don't take any chances with my mail._

_Your aunt told me that you were accepted into the Mubarak Institute. Can I firstly say how proud I am of you? They are the top potions institute in the world and for them to accept international students is a very rare thing indeed. I knew you could do it. Your aunt also told me that the twins have been accepted into their primary school and are doing wonderfully as well. It's been so long since I've seen them, they must have grown so much._

_However the purpose of this letter was not just to offer my hearty congratulations. It was to offer a bit of a warning. No one here besides me knows who Henry and Ria really are, and I plan to keep it that way, but I have heard some disturbing things from the headmaster. He seems to have resigned himself to the belief that the twins are gone forever as it's been four years and they haven't been found. However, he's grown incredibly secretive lately. He doesn't speak to me as much and he's been having visitors in and out of his office more and more frequently. _

_Do you remember when I told you about the prophecy regarding the twins? Albus believes that there is a lot of truth to that, and he has taken great pains to have his spies sneak into the Ministry and steal the prophecy for him. I was finally able to hear all of it:_

**"****_The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equals, but they will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies_****_."_**

****_Severus in these last four years, that prophecy has not changed. And that makes Albus very suspicious. If the prophecy has not changed then in his mind, that means that Harry and Isabelle are still alive. He has a plan for what he calls, "the greater good," and if he finds the twins it will involve them._

_He seems to understand that though they are not in England anymore, they may be somewhere else and he is now beginning to broaden his horizons to the rest of Europe. _

_**He must not find them.**_

_It pains me to say this, but I do not think that you should send the twins to Hogwarts when they come of age. I know that that was one of Lily's final wishes, but the safety of Henry and Ria comes first. The rest of what's in this package contains information on potential schools for the twins when they get older. If I were you I would look into them carefully._

_The rest of it is information about Horcruxes that you asked for. _

_This information is dangerous Severus. It's very dark magic that the late Voldemort was using and if this were to get out, I can't even imagine the repercussions. Follow your hunches and your gut because they are sure to save you._

_And do not come back to England until you absolutely have to. Albus is ruthless, I have no doubt that there is nothing he wouldn't do to wrest control of the twins. You knew that when you found out that he had styled himself as the twins' magical guardian. The fact that this prophecy hasn't changed at all, is reason enough for him to think that something else is going on here, and he has been taking many trips to the bank as well as the Ministry of Magic._

_Keep the twins safe Severus, and if I were you, I would make them magical permanent residents of Egypt as soon as possible. That way if Albus were to ever discover their whereabouts Merlin forbid, he still wouldn't be able to remove them. _

_It wasn't my intention to saturate this letter with grave news but you needed to be informed. And I am not a teacher if that is not my main purpose._

_Stay safe._

_Minerva McGonagall_

Severus stared at the letter and reread it a few times just to make sure that all of the information sunk in.

So the old coot was up to his games again. But more importantly, just what were those games that he was up to?

A better question was what was he going to do about it?

Just then Severus remembered that he had been asked to meet with the Director the following day. He had the utmost respect for Mubarak. He would know what to do.

Ω

The following afternoon saw Severus sitting down with the Director of the Institute on the small stone terrace overlooking the bay where they had met the first time two months ago.

Mubarak had a goblet of wine in his hand and so did Severus. The latter had requested the afternoon off from his classes and Jasmina had agreed to keep the twins longer until he was finished with his meeting.

"What may I ask is this all about Severus?" Mubarak asked. "I had expected to see you soon enough, but this was far sooner than I anticipated."

Severus took a deep breath. "Director you know that before coming to study here I lived in Italy and studied under Alastair Cambridge in England. But before that I was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I was a part of Slytherin House."

"Ah yes, I do recall that school, famed to be the best world for their O.W.L and N.E.W.T level scores. Or at least that's what Albus Dumbledore likes to believe," Mubarak took a sip of his wine and stared out across the bay.

"I can attest to the fact that he is a meddling manipulator and if I hadn't don't the things that I did, the twins would still be in his grasp."

The Director raised an eyebrow. "I think this is a tale that needs telling so I can ascertain just what it is that you mean."

And so Severus spent the next hour telling the Director about his life at Hogwarts. He kept everything very general telling only what he needed to. He explained about the death of the twin's mother at the hand of Lord Voldemort and how she had told him right before she died that he was a father. Then he got into the prophecy and how his former teacher had told him that Lily was a pureblood and how the Dark Lord had been obsessed with the idea of immortality which was why he had created Horcruxes.

When he was through, he sat back into the cushioned bench, feeling as if he had removed his brain and wrung it out before putting it back in.

For about five minutes, the Director was completely silent, he just kept taking little sips and looking out at the bay.

"I have known Albus Dumbledore for a long time. Or, perhaps I should clarify, I have known of Albus Dumbledore for a long time, and he has always possessed the….unique ability to run over anyone in his quest for the object of his ambitions. The man possesses surprisingly little empathy for one who has lived so long and yet somehow manages to turn a blind eye to every situation that is unsavory," he said.

Severus snorted. "I believe you have summed the man up in a nutshell."

"And so this prophecy is when the trouble started?"

"Yes."

"Unbelievable that one man would put so much stock in something that has yet to occur. It is the complete absence of rationality and the same goes for this Voldemort character. We only heard whispers here in the Middle East, but I would place this self-styled in the same category of missing rationale."

He stopped here and glanced at Severus. "And it would seem that the both of them had a personal vendetta about power that involved your children. How seriously are prophecies taken in England?"

"If given to the right people….quite seriously," Severus replied. "The prophecy was heard by a supporter of the Dark Lord who told him and….well, the rest has already been told."

The Director finally turned to face the international apprentice. "And would you mind telling me what exactly Horcruxes have to do with this discussion? That is a very dark form of magic and only the depraved would truly consent themselves to be subjected to it." He sighed and put the goblet down on the table next to his chair.

"There is an ancient Egyptian practice of removing the organs of dead pharaohs and storing them in canopic jars for the afterlife. When the deceased pharaoh was placed in his tomb, the jars were stored around him. The only organ that was left intact, was the heart. It was of special significance. The magic surrounding Horcruxes was devised from this myth Severus. Only the pharaohs could afford such a practice and nowadays it's considered barbaric."

"What are you saying Director?" Severus asked. He had no idea where the conversation was going.

"I am saying that the idea of Horcruxes didn't originate in England. It is a very old very dark Egyptian practice that many pharaohs believed would keep them alive. Ironically, one didn't have to be a wizard to have it done, for everyone possesses a soul."

Severus set his goblet of wine to one side and leaned forward in his chair, eyes trained on the Director like shot gun barrels. This was information he had never heard of before.

"Like I said, only the very wealthy had it done, which was why they believed in an afterlife. The Muggles call it mummification, the magical community calls it something much different."

He sighed. "Egypt was likely where Lord Voldemort had it done."

"But that's crazy," Severus burst out. "He was an arrogant dictator, there was no possible way he would allow anyone to perform such a practice on him unless he himself was the one doing it."

"We may think that, but did you also know that the so called "darkest wizard of our time" was also a half blood?"

You could have heard a pin drop for all that was Severus' response. His mouth opened and closed like a fish for a few seconds. "But then that would mean that all the propaganda he preached about blood purity was utter rot! He was a complete hypocrite! And how on earth did you come by this information Director?"

"Severus, I make it a habit to inform myself about the goings on of any potential dark wizards in the magical world and how they became so. Now the information about Horcruxes is not common knowledge to anyone who doesn't have dealings with ancient magics. It is because it is a closely guarded secret."

The director paused here and snapped his fingers. A thick scroll of papyrus appeared in his hands and he swiftly unrolled it before passing it over to Severus.

On the page was listed a set of criteria that needed to be met in order for creating a Horcrux to be successful.

The paper was old and yellowed and crackled when Severus pressed his hands on it. The last thing he wanted was for the thing to disintegrate on him before he ascertained any of the information.

It stated that a person must be put into a death like sleep, upon which they were removed from their body.

"What does this mean?" Severus asked, pointing to the line. Mubarak took a sip from his goblet.

"The Muggles call it having an out of body experience. In this case it is a literal truth. While a person is in their comatose state, their consciousness is separated from their body by means of a powerful spell. There is a potion they must take before falling asleep as well. Then the person's consciousness is removed and placed in something that is similar to a pensieve. Their mind is still completely aware, but their body is dead. It is during that time when the process of making a Horcrux begins.

The internal organs are removed and left to dry out. And once they are removed, the process of soul discovery can begin."

Severus leaned forward. This was an aspect of magic that had never been studied. He didn't even know what the soul looked like.

"Depending on the nature of a person the soul can be found anywhere in the body," Mubarak went on. "To the Muggles the soul is an intangible thing, but to sorcerers it is very much real. To have control over ones soul is far more terrible then to have control over one's mind. Because you possess the power to crush a person from the inside out. In ancient times, the best way to start a coup was to gain control of the opposing pharaoh's soul, and there were many that would pay dearly for such a thing.

I have never seen a human soul, however, there are many writings that say it is colored with a person's deeds and greatest secrets and regrets. Things that have never been seen. Memories aren't really hidden in the mind, but are connected to the soul. And if your Lord Voldemort wished to make sure that no one had access to such an important piece of himself, then splitting it up was perhaps the best way to do that."

"This is all very fascinating for future research," Severus said, "but how does it explain the person that is the dark lord?"

Mubarak reached over and took the scroll back. "Severus, you are an ingenious potions master, but one of the many things we teach at the Institute, is to think outside the box. Consider the connections between what we know of Lord Voldemort. This was more than about achieving immortality. This was about ensuring the no one would ever gain power over him."

Severus blinked suddenly making the connection. "This is was a two-step process," he whispered.

"Indeed," Mubarak said. "And it was something that was so complicated that he wouldn't have known how to do it without killing himself."

Severus frowned. "Then how exactly is it done?"

"Once the organs are removed from the body, then the soul can be removed. Like I told you, it is a tangible thing. And to split it up is to remove pieces of the whole person. For example you lose your ability to empathize as well as your ability to feel any kind of emotion."

"That describes the dark lord to a T," Severus muttered.

"Indeed, and after the organs have been removed, the soul split, the heart is placed back inside and the body is rinsed with wine and other spices. Then the parts of the soul that are to remain with the body are deposited once more inside."

"Am I to understand that you think that this procedure was somehow done here?" Severus asked.

Mubarak leaned back in his chair and stared out over the bay. It was early afternoon and the bay was calm and azure blue with small boats floating on it. Severus knew that there was a heavy glamor charm on the temple to protect it from unfriendly eyes, so it would appear to the Muggles as nothing more than an abandoned temple. As usual the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Severus gave a small shudder though at what he had just learned. The fact that the place he was just starting to call home had been invaded by a monster, was nothing short of alarming. He took a deep breath.

"Director Mubarak, what do you know about Voldemort?" he asked and the older man turned and looked at him, the expression in his dark eyes unfathomable.

"As soon as whispers of him could be heard in the Middle East, I began looking into his history in England. His name was actually Tom Marvolo Riddle. His father was a Muggle and his mother a pureblood, her last name being Gaunt."

Severus remembered the Gaunts. They had died out a long time ago from too much inbreeding and too many squibs were born.

"His mother died and he was sent to a muggle orphanage where he was discovered by none other than Albus Dumbledore."

"Wait…..Dumbledore let that monster into Hogwarts?" Severus asked incredulously.

"No one had any idea of what he would become," Mubarak replied. "If one could only know the future. But no one does. Tom was a fantastic student and well-liked by all. I was told all this by my contact and by having access to the right information."

Severus frowned. "If you don't mind my asking sir, how on earth do you know all of this and who was your informant?"

"A woman by the name of Minerva McGonagall."

Severus blinked. He supposed it was possible. After, she had been there nearly as long as Dumbledore. He would have to write his former teacher back and ask why she had never told him about this encounter.

"After hearing about his transition, I knew there was only one possible reason for such a violent turnabout and it seems I was correct."

"But if he came here to have his soul split apart, who would have performed the procedure?" Severus asked. "It doesn't seem as if mummification is practiced in Egypt anymore. Who would he go to? It sounds extremely dangerous."

"It is, but I can still think of some people who would attest to knowing the practice and for a certain fee, would be willing to perform it." He paused and looked the apprentice in the eyes. "The sorcerers here are more powerful than in England Severus, because Egypt is essentially the birthplace of magic, we know more here than the rest of the world because magic here is as old as the sands themselves.

Now what was this you feared about the twins being Horcruxes?"

Severus explained that McGonagall had told him when she had seen the twin's scars that they were the work of dark magic and to have them removed by the goblins at Gringotts immediately. Once they had done that they changed their names to Henricus and Ilaria Andronicus and took them to Italy.

"So I am to understand that Henry and Ria and really Harry and Isabelle Potter, the children of this prophecy?" Mubarak asked. Severus nodded. "And if Dumbledore were to discover that they were alive, he would never stop trying to get his hands on them. It is one of the reasons, I wished to make them permanent magical residents of Egypt."

"An apt notion," Mubarak conceded. "Although I do not think it likely that even if he were to discover they are in fact not deceased, he would know where to look. You left no trails, and the two of you were not on good speaking terms when you felt as it was."

"Very true," Severus replied. "Yet I cannot help but feel as if even though I covered all of our tracks, there is something I forgot. The dark lord will return, and I need to be ready to stop him before he kills someone close to me again."

"The twins' mother," Mubarak prompted. Severus nodded. "I need to make sure I have a means to destroy him before he goes after the twins."

"Severus, you keep saying I, do you think that there will not be others who will aid you in this fight?"

Severus glanced up at the Director who was watching him closely. "No, but the last thing that needs to happen is more lives needlessly snuffed out. And the twins will be the first ones on his list because they are the ones supposedly destined to destroy him."

"Then I have a proposition," Mubarak said and Severus looked up suddenly intrigued. "What is it?"

"The only way to ensure the dark lord, is indeed gone is destroy what remains of his horcruxes. And the only way to do that is go to the person who performed the ritual in the first place."

"Do you know who he or she or they are?"

"Not at the moment, but I am going to find out. And when I do, I would like you to come along as well to interrogate them," Mubarak said and Severus could tell that he was just as bothered by the fact that someone in Egypt had helped the self-styled Dark Lord as he was.

"I should probably go and collect the twins now," Severus said and got up. He gave a short bow to Mubarak and thanked for his time.

He was about to turn the corner when Mubarak called out again. "There was one more thing I needed to tell you."

Severus turned.

"I wondered if you had begun looking for potential schools for the twins when they get older," the director said. Severus blinked. One of those days he had to figure out how the man did that. Reading minds, but at the same time not exactly reading them.

"I was," he said carefully.

The Director of the Institute got to his feet and turned to look at him. "Then I could suggest one here in Egypt."

Severus blinked in surprise. "I didn't know that the Institute was affiliated with a school other than the primary one."

"You would not know that the answer to that is yes because the Egyptian school of magic is not common knowledge to many."

Severus frowned and walked back over before sitting down on the bench across from the director. "And why is that?"

"Because we are a school that isn't widely and has a high academic as well as practical magic standard. And after what Jamila has told me of the twins' work, I think that when they come of age, they would be ideal candidates to test into the school."

Severus blinked. "That's incredible. But why may I ask is it so secretive?"

Mubarak sighed. "Because it is a school that is specifically designed to learning about the Dark Arts and counteracting them."

Severus blinked again, and kept blinking for a few seconds as he processed what had been said.

"The students are already learning simple things like basic potions, transfiguration and charms. There is a reason that we start them learning magic so early. At the school that I am the head of, students learn how to create their own spells as well as make potions that counteract the effects of the Imperious and Cruciatus Curses."

"This is amazing!" Severus said, his earlier low mood evaporating. "And you think that the twins would be ideal candidates to test into the school?"

"I do, but you also much be able to understand them that we teach our students to fight at a young age. Are you prepared for that?"

Severus paused. He had taken the twins away from England so they could have a safe and happy childhood away from any mention of the Dark Lord. And they were certainly having that.

"How old will they be when they are able to start at the school?"

"We begin inducting new students at ten?"

"And you are the headmaster of this school then?"

"Yes."

"Then I think it would be ideal to have the twins study at this school. I gained a great respect for this Institute in the last few months and a school that is affiliated with it and is going to teach my children more than they would ever learn at any of the European schools is a place I want my son and daughter to be instructed at. Yes, I would like them to go there when they turn ten."

"Excellent."

Ω

Later that evening, Severus was taking a walk by the bay. The twins' were playing at one of their friends' houses, and he had decided he would take a stroll before he want over and collected them.

Adil had told him later that Naveen, Farida and Amir, had been begging their uncle to have the twins come back and play with them and so a date had been set up for the weekend to bring the twins to the Zaeem Estate.

"I didn't think you would be out here this late," a soft voice called and Severus glanced up to find Jasmina walking toward him. As usual she was wearing the long white dress that signified her as a teacher, but her long black hair was braided and hung over one shoulder reaching almost to her waist.

For a moment Severus panicked before his mind calmed. He took a deep breath and then smiled at her. She looked more beautiful than ever, but he needed to focus before he turned into a drooling idiot.

"Yes, I uh, I usually take walks during the evenings, it helps me think and unwind after the day is done."

She smiled as she stopped in front of him. "So do I. Suppose we walk together then?"

One part of Severus was fist pumping in excitement as he hadn't seen her all day and then there was another part of him that was screaming at him to run for the hills.

Fortunately he did neither and only smiled and agreed.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Jasmina spoke up again. "My father was quite impressed with you."

That almost tripped him up. "He was?"

Jasmina frowned. "Of course, why wouldn't he be? You're young and successful. You're a father and you're juggling so many different things yet you've managed to rise to the top and get accepted here. That is no easy feat."

Severus smiled. "You make it sound as if I've been raising them on my own. I've had a lot of help. My aunt in Italy would have wrung my neck if I hadn't brought the twins to stay with her while I worked, after the twins' mother….."

He trailed off, realizing what he was about to say. He glanced up to find Jasmina looking at him oddly. "Please know that you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I can understand at least that the circumstances surrounding her death were very shady and that can be difficult to recount."

Severus ran a hand through his hair. "No, no it's not that, it's just besides my cousin and aunt, no one else really knows what happened. But…..we're friends and you've been taking care of my children these past few months almost as much as I have so I feel like you deserve the truth at the very least."

He paused and glanced out across the bay. The sun had gone down quickly and the moonlight was reflecting off the water, turning it silver and desert far away blue. The stars were beginning to come out as well. That was just another thing to add to the long list of what Severus loved about this place. It constancy and tranquility never ceased to give him rest and provide him with new ideas.

"Lily hid the twins from me, right up until the night she died. They were conceived before she was married but after that, she left and married someone else. I'm not sure when she discovered that they were mine, but she knew. I'm not sure why she went to such lengths to hide them from me, but she must have been afraid of her husband finding out. After she told me, I took them and we left the house immediately. The twins were in England only a few days after that before I took them to Italy."

"May I ask why the need for such a hasty departure?" Jasmina asked quietly. She had so many questions, but she didn't want to pry. Severus was opening up and the last thing she wanted was to shut him down again because she couldn't keep a lid on her curiosity.

"The twins were the subject of a prophecy," he paused and looked at her. "What do you know about Lord Voldemort?"

Jasmina frowned. "Not much. I know that he caused quite a stir in England four years ago. My father and Director had a few meetings during that time, but if they were discussing him, then I would not know. Why do you ask?"

"Because the prophecy surrounding the twins stated that they would be the ones to defeat him. And he couldn't handle the belief knowing that they might be a threat to his power and reign of terror so he went to their house to kill them. Lily got in the way. I got there minutes too late and she died in my arms."

"Severus…..I'm so sorry," Jasmina whispered, and without evening thinking, she reached out and took his hand. He stiffened, but after a few seconds relaxed. She was even more surprised when he tightened his grip on her hand and they kept walking.

"She told me before she died, that the twins were mine and she wanted me to look after them. And that they couldn't stay in England because there were people besides Lord Voldemort who would be after them."

"Who?"

"The Dark Lord had many followers who were still at large after he was destroyed. The twins would've been targets if they stayed in England. The headmaster of mine and Lily's former school wanted charge of them and styled himself as the twins' magical guardians."

"He sounds like a classic manipulator."

"He was."

They walked in silence for another few minutes. Jasmina had one question that kept racing to the front of her mind and try as she might to suppress it, it kept bubbling up.

"What was she like?"

Severus paused but didn't let go of her hand and turned to look at her. They were almost the same height, yet he was about two inches taller.

"She was brilliant, beautiful and very, very headstrong. There were times when she could be very self-righteous, but that was simply her nature. And she had the greenest eyes I had ever seen. You can tell that the twins have inherited them."

"Indeed," she said softly. Jasmina looked out to the bay as they walked and hoped he wouldn't see the disappointment on her face. Over the past few weeks she had come to care for Severus a great deal, but was reluctant to say anything because of the unknown details.

"Is something wrong?" Severus asked and she shook her head, still not looking at him. "It just makes me somewhat sad, the twins not growing up without their mother."

"Well…..in a way you've kind of filled that spot in their lives."

That made her stop. "I beg your pardon?"

When she glanced up at him again, she was surprised to see that his eyes had grown very soft in the moonlight.

"You've been all they've talked about the past few months, and they tell me that you are they're favorite part about going to school because you are going to be there to teach them and I found myself agreeing with them. They've grown very fond of you."

He paused and seemed to take a breath. "And so have I."

"W-What?" she whispered, caught completely off guard. Severus, who was still holding her left hand, reached down and took her right one as well. He knew he had already partially opened the bag, he might as well let the cat all the way out this time.

"I haven't wanted to say anything because I wasn't really sure what it was that I was feeling and, the last thing I wanted was to give you the wrong impression of me. And because I found myself constantly comparing you to Lily."

He stopped here and looked down at her hands which had gone very still before looking back up at her. In the moonlight her face looked pale, but her golden eyes were as shiny as glass.

"But you're not her, and it wouldn't be fair to judge you by the same standards. Yes, a part of me will always love her because she gave me the twins, but I can't help but feel as if she would want me to be happy. And I won't be able to do that if I keep holding onto her memory as tight as I have been."

"Severus what are you saying?" Jasmina whispered. She couldn't believe her ears. She had thought that it might take years for him to say something like that, but as she thought about it, it had been years.

"I'm saying that I care for you. The twins look at you like a mother figure and anyone who is that special to have garnered their trust and love, I want to be around. You challenge them to go beyond what they think they can do and inspire them to dream. I know it's only been a few months, but…..I want this," he glanced down at their joined hands. "To continue."

"I would like that too," she replied and Severus smiled. "I can't promise you that I am completely where I want to be yet, and I'm going to have to ask you to be patient with me while I get there, but I want the process of getting to that place, to be with you."

"I wasn't sure if I should say anything," she whispered back. "I've begun to care for you a great deal these past few months but I didn't want to be the one to push you."

"You didn't," Severus assured her. "But it turned out that I needed a bit of a push. I owe it both to myself and the twins to be happy, and you do that for all three of us."

Jasmina stood on her toes and kissed him gently on the cheek. It was soft and warm and immediately, Severus felt the sparks. He gave her a soft smile which she returned.

"Come on, let's walk back. I need to take the twins home anyway."

"Are you sure they'll be alright with this?" Jasmina asked as she gestured to their hands that were wrapped around each other.

"I know they will."

And so with the moonlight on the water, and the cool wind blowing off the desert, Severus and Jasmina walked back to the Institute, both feeling more content than they had in a long time.

Ω

**Yay for moving forward! I was excited to post this chapter because I knew from the moment I introduced Jasmina that I wanted her to be Severus's new love interest. That's something that we never got to see in canon, and that always made me feel a bit sorry for Severus because I felt he deserved love too. Sorry about how long this update took, I'm still working out the kinks in this story. And as some of you have probably figured out, I will not be sending the twins to Hogwarts, I will be creating my own school for them to go to which will be introduced in the coming chapters. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and as always, happy reading everyone! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Jasmina and Severus walked back to the Institute along the beach hand in hand. They were both quiet, but there was nothing more to say. They were content with the silence and content with each other.

"Do you think the twins will be alright with this?" she asked again and he smiled at her. "Ilaria was the one to convince that me that this was a good idea. She never said anything but whenever you and I were around each other, she always got a sneaky look on her face."

"She is quite devious, that one," Jasmina said smiling softly. Severus smirked. "I'd like to think that she inherited that quality from me. Henry and her are always getting into trouble, but since we have arrived in Egypt, it has calmed somewhat. There aren't as many mischievous influences around."

"I'm not sure about that," Jasmina said tapping her chin thoughtfully. "My younger cousins, Naveen, Amir and Farida keep asking when Henry and Ria are going to come back."

"I think they would enjoy that very much," Severus said smiling. "Your home was beautiful by the way, actually that's probably too soft of a word. Stunning is more like it. Has it always been like that?"

"Yes, the ancient magics and wards in the palaces are self-renewing. They constantly renovate our walls so they remain strong, but still leave the ancient feel of three thousand years of Zaeems."

"I must confess, I'm dying to see the rest of the Zaeem estate as well," Severus said eagerly. Now that things between him and Jasmina had been cleared up, he was anxious to spend more time with her and get to know her and her family better.

"I would love to show you around some more, the next time it is feasible for you and the twins," the Egyptian offered tentatively.

Severus's grin widened. By this time, they had arrived back at the Institute, he knew their time was ending. She was about to leave for home and he needed to collect the twins.

So before he lost all of his nerve, Severus reached out, pulled her into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. He couldn't believe he had done it, but as soon as he saw the smile on her face he knew it had been the right thing.

"Goodnight Severus," she whispered before turning and hurrying back through the temple to the apparating point.

Severus watched her until she was out of sight before turning his feet towards the twin's friends house. He wasn't sure what the future would hold since now Jasmina seemed to be included in it, but he knew for a fact that it was going to be good.

The following morning after he had seen the twins off to school, Severus met up with Adil and the two of them walked to meet their mentor together.

Life at the Institute was much different than Severus expected. With Masters' Romano and Cambridge he had always had a one on one working relationship. That meant that he had always received their full attention. That didn't happen here.

The Institute was a very competitive place. There had been only six apprentices accepted into the incoming class that year and Severus had been the only international one. Within four months, three of them had dropped out, and all of them were from different parts of Egypt. That meant less competition for Severus, but more of a heavy work load.

Not everyone could handle the amount of work that went into being an apprentice of the Institute and many did drop out along the way.

As Severus reached a higher grade of potions mastery, he would then be taken on by some of the Institute's top potions masters who had a reputation for being the best in the world. And if he was lucky, he might even garner the chance to study under Mubarak himself. The first few years of study at the Institute were mostly about seeing who was serious and who would buckle under the pressure.

"I must ask you what you thought of your time in our home," Adil inquired as the two of them hurried to class.

"It was incredible," Severus replied honestly. "I never expected it to be so grandiose or so royal. But then again, I guess that's what you get with three thousand years of history on your side."

"It is amazing when you think about it," Adil admitted. "Father often likes to remind us that we are descended from gods and should remember such things as they are important."

Severus suddenly choked. "I'm sorry, did you just say that you're descended from gods?"

Adil gave him a strange look. "Yes, I assumed Jasmina told you some of our family history given how close the two of you have become."

It was a statement with a double meaning and Severus knew it. Adil was inquiring about how much Jasmina had told him openly, while also asking what Severus's intentions toward his sister were.

It was a statement worthy of a Slytherin.

"No, she didn't tell me," Severus replied. "But then I assumed she would at some time given how much the twins love her and the fact that she has asked us to come over again."

Adil blinked but hid his surprise well. "She did? Well that's wonderful. I knew that you and the twins enjoyed yourselves the other day, but I wasn't sure if a follow up date would be made this soon."

Another statement that had a double meaning to it.

"Neither did I," Severus replied honestly. "But she told me that she would love to show me around further and the twins are anxious to see Farida, Amir and Naveen again, and I know they would jump at the chance to go again."

Adil seemed to have run out at his efforts of being subtle. "Severus, Jasmina is the only sister that I have and so I am a little protective of her. As such I must ask you what your intentions are. You are the first man in her life in a long while that she has actually wanted to spend time with and my father actually likes you. I feel as if things may be getting serious."

Part of Severus wanted to laugh and the other part was stunned. Stunned because he had imagined Jasmina to have a horde of suitors as well as the fact that Zafeer liked him. He found the man brilliant but borderline frightening.

"I have only made my feelings plain to her last night," he said quietly. "And I was surprised to find that she feels the same way. I didn't think there would be anyone else after the twins' mother died but she has proven me wrong. The twins love her and I have come to care for her a great deal myself."

Adil said nothing as they walked. All around them, there was the murmur of the different patrons of the Institute, talking quietly amongst themselves. In the morning sharp beams of sunlight were stabbing down in the spaces of the stone skylights, casting a warm glow on everything they touched.

"I suppose that is all I can ask for right now," Adil said finally. "Severus you are my friend and I would much rather you for my sister than anyone else. But please, do be careful. You're not the only one with wounds."

Leaving Severus standing there in surprise, he hurried on his way.

Ω

Adil's words followed Severus around all that week. He hadn't been blind to the fact that Jasmina may have had a past, but the truth was, while he had thought it was certainly possible, he hadn't spent much time thinking about it.

But the more he thought about it, he wanted to curse his foolishness. He had been so caught up in what was left of his pain and wounds and trying to cover old scars, that he had been completely blind to the fact that she may have reservations about the two of them as well.

When the weekend arrived and he and the twins were getting ready to visit the home of the Zaeems again, Severus was a nervous wreck.

He had spoken to Adil a few times since but the Egyptian never broached the subject of his sister again, and Severus was suddenly too nervous to ask.

This time, it would be Jasmina collecting them and bringing them to the house.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, _Severus thought as he and the twins hustled through the temple to meet Jasmina at the apparition point. He was a bundle of nerves, maybe even more so then the first time.

But as soon as he saw her waiting to meet them, pacing slightly and twisting her hands together in a circular motion, most of his nerves melted away. He didn't need to find answers right away, there was still plenty of time for that. He would ensure that he didn't toy with the beautiful Egyptian's feelings, but if she wanted to tell him more about her past, then he trusted that it would happen in time.

As soon as they reached the apparition point, Jasmina whistled for the horses and Zaair and Asif seemed to appear out of nowhere. Like last time, the twins began squealing as soon as they saw the beautiful animals.

They got into the chariot with much less fanfare then they had before and rode off into the desert.

"Will tonight be the same as it was last week?" Severus asked. He said it quietly enough so the twins wouldn't hear him. He didn't want to get their hopes up with visions of golden butterflies and dancing firelight.

"No," Jasmina whispered back. "Most of my older brothers have returned to their respective places of work. Mustafa, the eldest has gone back to the Japanese Institute. The others have returned to further corners of the world."

"And your father?"

"He is there as well, but my mother has returned with Mustafa to the Japanese Institute where he studies, she teaches there as well."

"Will I ever get to meet her?" Severus asked tentatively. Jasmina frowned. "Eventually, she loves to teach like I do and when she got an opportunity to see a new place she was off like a shot. One of these days I hope I get an opportunity like that."

"You would really travel abroad and leave Egypt?" Severus asked curiously. For a moment, Jasmina looked out to the desert they were riding across and her expression changed to one of wonderment.

"I love my home Severus and there is no way that I could ever permanently live somewhere else, but do I long to see other parts of the world, be exposed to different cultures and immerse myself in new learning styles? Yes I do."

"That's what I like about you," Severus replied reaching down and taking her hand gently. "You're passionate."

There was no great fanfare this time as they rode through the desert to the Zaeem ancestral home. Although when the pyramids did rise from the desert sands to meet them the twins became all excited.

"Look Papa, there they are again!" Henry exclaimed. Severus glanced down at his son and smiled. Something that he found absolutely amazing about Henry and Ria, was the fact that it didn't matter if they had seen something before. As long as they perceived it to be beautiful it would amaze them no matter how many times they saw it.

Soon enough, they had passed through the pyramids and had come in sight of the wall that was the border of the Zaeem ancestral home. Severus still found himself trying to see to the end of the property and failing miserably.

Jasmina caught his eye and she laughed. "The only way to the see the entirety of my home, is to travel it without magic dear Severus."

"I knew that."

After they had passed through the wards and the gardens and courtyard beyond, they approached the wide river that bordered the palaces themselves and Severus helped the twins into the boat.

By this time, they were bouncing on their toes with anticipation and chattering to each other about Amir, Naveen and Farida. Severus chuckled as he watched them bounce about. Jasmina's cousins appeared to have made quite an impact on them and he hoped the influence would continue. The twins needed to make more friends.

When they had at last crossed the river and docked at the foot of the marble stairs, Severus helped the twins and Jasmina out and they entered the palace.

They had no sooner set foot in the massive doorway however when three children dressed in tan sleeveless tunics with gold and black sashes set upon them.

There was much squealing and laughter and the Zaeem cousins took the hands of Henry and Ria and attempted to pull them away, chattering about going off to play.

"Do not worry Severus," Jasmina said soothingly. "My nieces and nephews possess a high amount of energy but no more than the twins do. They are in good hands."

"Are you sure?"

At this, Jasmina placed both hands on the sides of his face and turned it to his ebony eyes could look into her golden ones.

"I am positive. I am the youngest of nine brothers and this is my childhood home. I had many eyes to watch over me, both animate and non-animate. Rest assured, no harm will come to them."

Severus frowned, not really sure what she meant by that last statement, but when he opened his mouth to ask, she had already begun to pull him along in the direction of where the twins and the Zaeems had disappeared.

"Come, there is much more to show you."

Jasmina led Severus down the stone steps onto the marble terrace where the party had been a few weeks earlier. It was empty now and the noonday sun shining down upon it had made the stone warm. Severus could see the river shining silver through the papyrus trees off to the left and the distant twinkle of the temples beyond.

_Merlin, I could stay here forever, _he thought. The thought surprised him, but as he thought about it, he realized it was no less true when put under testing as when it had been thought in passing.

He loved this place, not just the Zaeem home, but Egypt in general. The history and mythology as well as magic here, was nothing short of breathtaking and he found he was content to just sit there and take it all in.

"Come," Jasmina said, pulling him down off the terrace, "there is more for you to see."

She led him to the edge of the river and after about ten minutes of walking among the rushes, Severus glanced up at the river that was still shining in the sunlight and blinked in surprise when he saw something that he hadn't seen on his last trip here.

There was a small island in the middle of the wide river and housed upon it was temple made completely of gold and precious metals. It had the same ornate black and gold pillars to hold it up as the larger palace on the river front did, and its roof was folded slightly like that of a Muggle house, yet there were no shingles. An ivory set of ten steps led up to the front awning which was supported by four pillars and which led to the inside. The whole thing was about two thousand square feet.

There was an interesting statue out front and when Severus squinted he could see that it was of two people that were twined around each other in a curious fashion.

"What's that?" he asked pointing, and when Jasmina turned where he had pointed, a slow smile decorated her beautiful face.

"That dear Severus is the temple of Isis and Osiris. Have I not told you the story?"

Severus frowned and shook his head no.

"Osiris was the first born son of Nut, goddess of the skies. But when his younger brother Seth was born, there was bad blood between them."

_I know all too well what that's like, _Severus thought to himself.

Jasmina sat down on one of the rocks at the edge of the river and after a moment's hesitation, Severus did the same. He was still aware of the fact that they were holding hands and attempted to concentrate on what she was saying.

"Now Seth married his sister Nephthys, yet it was his other sister Isis whom Osiris married that he longed for."

Severus wished that he could say he was shocked at the act of incest, but having come from England where the "Sacred Twenty Eight" dwelt he was all too familiar with such things.

"Now Isis was a clever deity perhaps because she was the goddess of magic, and she learned the secret name of the sun god Re, after which Osiris, her husband became the sole ruler of Egypt. And the people loved him.

"Yet Seth envied Osiris and he both hated and loved Isis for she had chosen his brother over him. And he desired to kill Osiris, the more prosperous Egypt became. And so aided by seventy two conspirators as well as the evil queen of Ethiopia, Seth took measurements of the body of Osiris and caused a chest to be made that would fit only him. It was fashioned with cedar from Lebanon and ebony from Punt.

"And then Seth gave a great feast in honor of his brother and when Osiris had been made well pleased with the feasting as well as the food and the finery of the guests, the chest that Seth had fashioned was brought in and Seth declared that he would give the fine piece to whomever would be able to fit inside of it exactly."

"Wait a minute," Severus interrupted. "Was Osiris really that thick that he couldn't see what his brother was doing?"

"We will never know," Jasmina said solemnly. "For the moment Osiris was inside, Seth slammed the lid shut, nailed it and then filled every crack with molten lead so that Osiris died inside of it."

"Merlin, what an awful way to go."

"It was, and Seth and his conspirators took the chest and threw it into the Nile. It was carried out to sea and came to rest at the shores of Phoenicia where it was cast into a tamarisk tree and the tree grew in beauty to make a wonderful resting place for the king.

"Presently however, the king of that country heard of the beauty of the tree and he ordered it to be cut down and made into one of the pillars for his palace not knowing that the trunk of the tree housed the body of a god.

"Meanwhile in Egypt, Isis dwelt in fear, for she had suspected the treachery within Seth's heart but could not get her husband to believe her before it was too late. And so she left Egypt and sought for her husband's body. She wandered back and forth across Egypt, until at last, she came upon a group of children who were playing on the shore bank where the tree of Osiris had been.

"They told her that a great tree had once dwelt down by the shore and that the king had seen fit to take the trunk of the tree and use it for one of the pillars for his palace. Then Isis took her natural form and went to the king and queen of that country, Malcander and Astarte who were astonished at her presence and gave her the tree right away. Isis withdrew the casket from it, but it was too late, Osiris was already dead.

"Then she threw herself down upon the casket and wept aloud. But presently, she opened it and found that the powerful aura and magic that Osiris had was still about him. She removed his essence and hid it in one of the rings she wore and upon deciding to bring the chest back to Egypt, she hid it in the rushes on the bank of the river.

"And yet her heart ached for revenge for that of her husband. She wore the ring that bore his power always and swore that she would have her vengeance from Seth no matter how long it took."

Jasmina's voice died away until all that remained was the lapping of the river on the bank.

"So did she?" Severus asked. "Did she get her revenge on Seth?"

"Yes, but it was not by her hand that revenge was wrought. Isis was a shrewd goddess and she carried the power of Osiris with her in her ring for many years, before she chanced upon a mortal man by the name of Jafar who captured her heart and put it back together after her husband's death. It was he who she gave magic to and she refused to return to the gods which enraged Seth as he had been looking for her for many years. She had ten children with Jafar and the eldest of them, Horus, was the one who was responsible for wresting vengeance from Seth."

"And the Zaeem family are the descendants of Isis and Jafar?" Severus asked.

"Not just descendants Severus, we are of the direct line from a goddess and a mortal man who was turned into a god when he had reached a great age."

There was a long silence where Severus sat on the rock and digested the information. Jasmina looked at the temple for a long moment.

"Was she happy with him?" Severus asked. Jasmina turned to him and frowned. "Was Isis happy with Jafar you mean?"

Severus nodded.

A warm look came into her golden eyes and she reached for both of his hands and squeezed them gently.

"I like to think she was. She determined that he was worthy of the power of a god and the magic of a goddess and then she went and had ten children with him and they built a legacy lasting three thousand years. So yes, Severus. I think she was very happy with him."

Ω

The two of them spent the rest of the day exploring the many palaces on the Zaeem property. Jasmina told him that the wooded section was dotted with smaller pyramids and temples that the merchants and nomadic tribes had built before the Zaeems came to Egypt. They hadn't seen it fit to tear them down as they were full of history.

She had also said that there were many nomadic tribes that roamed across the Egyptian plains and they still traded their goods. But she had also mentioned that there was a religious sect that travelled the ancient sands as well. They made their home near the pyramids that Egypt was so known for and patrolled the grounds to keep away travelers who would steal treasure or use the tombs for darker purposes.

Severus had to recite the information over many times to make sure that he took it all in. Jasmina showed him around the interior of the main palace which was the first one he saw when he and the twins had arrived in the boat on their first visit.

There were at least a dozen flights of stairs leading to every level and Jasmina informed Severus that there was a temple at the very top to honor Isis. The hallways were long and supported by stone pillars as well but on a smaller scale then the ones downstairs and all were open to the river and the desert beyond. Severus noticed that none of the rooms had any doors on them, rather silk curtains. He also noticed that the rooms for the Zaeem family were very wide.

Something he noticed as Jasmina showed him around was the fact that everything was open to the sky. When he asked, the Egyptian told him that long ago, the pharaohs believed that the stars were a gateway to the afterlife and had so commissioned their pyramids to be built in a direct alignment with the brightest stars. Of course none of them really believed that any more, but being close to the heavens was still something that the Zaeem family treasured.

Severus and the twins went home that day strangely quiet. He had had a feeling they would stop chattering about Naveen Farida and Amir, but they said nothing. He could tell they weren't upset though as both the twins had very noticeable facial expressions when they were angry or sad.

Severus himself had had a lot to think over and he found himself sorely disappointed when the visit ended. Dinner had been a quiet affair with just Severus, Jasmina and the twins and Jasmina's niece and nephews. Zafeer had been away on some sort of business and Severus found himself both relieved and disappointed.

When they arrived back at the apparition point, the twins quickly said goodbye to their favorite teacher, promising to see her at school the following day before Severus took his turn.

"I hope today wasn't too boring," she said, looking a little worried. Severus smiled, when she was nervous about something, she always bit her bottom lip, something he found quite adorable.

"I hope that you would know me enough to realize that nothing I would ever do with you would be boring," he said. She raised an eyebrow. "Master Snape, have you always been this smooth and operator?"

"Slytherin."

He kissed her on the cheek goodbye and then hurried after the twins who were making their way down the hall of the Institute to the Outer Courtyard.

When they arrived back at the house it was still early, so Severus and the twins decided to go to the beach. This of course pleased the twins to no end and they wasted no time in putting on their swimsuits and hurrying to the bay with their father trailing behind.

As they played in the surf, Severus leaned back on the sand and reflected on the events of the day. It had been very successful in his opinion. He had gotten to spend time with Jasmina and her family and the twins had been able to see their friends. Amir, Farida and Naveen seemed like the outgoing sort who never ceased to look for an adventure. Henry had told him about their excursion with the Luck Fish which had led them to one of the other temples where they had found a fifty foot tall statue of Isis.

The Zaeem family in general had been a very good influence on them and something he always wanted the twins to have was good influences.

_Being a mother does seem like something Jasmina was born to do, _Severus thought absently. _She certainly would make a good mother for the twins._

Hold the phone.

Where had that come from? They had only been seeing each other for about a week and he was already thinking whether or not she would make a good mother for his children?

_I think I need to get my head examined. It's too high up in the clouds to be healthy. _

Ω

The following morning, Severus was in class absently stirring his cauldron. His mind was still on the events of yesterday, but thankfully he had become very good at multitasking.

There were only a few students in this particular lecture and Master Aali had left the room briefly. Severus took a moment to look about and assess the situation. There were only three apprentices in the room when a few months earlier there had been a dozen.

Not everyone could handle the pressure.

The room was utterly silent with everyone facing their cauldrons and staring intently into the depths as if they were trying to see a Grimm.

This was the reason that when the door opened, Severus jumped nearly a foot in the air. He looked up to glare at the intruder who had broken his concentration and blinked in surprise when he saw Director Mubarak walk into the room just behind Master Aali. The latter jerked his head for Severus to come to the front of the temple room and he did so hurriedly.

After giving a short bow he said, "Is there a problem Director?"

In answer to the question, Mubarak simply said: "Follow me." And Severus, feeling slightly nervous, followed the man out of the temple classroom.

Once they were back into the Main Hallway of the Institute, near to the stature of Isis, Mubarak gestured for Severus to walk alongside him and the two of them slowly began to make their way slowly down the hall.

"Is something wrong?" Severus asked after a few seconds. The silence was beginning to make him uneasy.

It wasn't until they were in the Outer Courtyard that Mubarak turned to him.

"I have been conferring with some of my connection as to how the ceremony to create Horcruxes would have been established."

At this news Severus perked up right away. He had been wracking his brain for the past few weeks trying to figure how Voldemort had had the procedure done. He had considered everything short of going back to England to find more information.

"And?" he asked.

The director folded his hands in front of him as they walked. "The answer is…..delicate. There is a nomadic tribe of religious zealots who possess the knowledge of how such a thing would be done. Unfortunately, they are a secluded bunch so how your Lord Voldemort would have made contact with them is still up to speculation. But they would be the group he would have sought."

"What kind of religious sect are we talking about?" Severus asked curiously. The director sighed. "They are a tribe that has dedicated their lives to the worship of the god Seth and other deities associated with power and destruction. Any of the more evil deities in Egyptian mythology were what they served."

Despite the fact that it was a bright sunny day and the breeze was blowing in gently from across the water of the bay, Severus felt cold and Jasmina's story about what Seth had done to his brother Osiris slipped to the forefront of his mind from yesterday.

"The connection is a sinister one," Mubarak said noticing the look on Severus's face.

Severus cleared his throat and got his mind back on track. "So what exactly does this mean for the Horcrux hunt?"

Mubarak rubbed his hands together. They had walked through the Outer Courtyard and back to the stone terrace which seemed to be where Mubarak greeted all incoming guests.

"Knowing the voraciousness of this group and their bizarre rituals in the worship of Seth, they were called in the common tongue of course, the Children of Anubis."

That sounded a little too familiar to Severus who knew all too well the names of some of the people he went to school with to be Death Eaters.

"Splitting the soul is a risky process because once the soul is taken from the body of someone, the magic they possess can become volatile, it may essentially destroy those who are standing to close, and they would have demanded payment for such a practice."

"What on earth would they have asked for?" Severus wondered aloud. Mubarak looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Severus blinked.

"You don't think that-"

"It is entirely possible," the director interjected smoothly. "After all, he would have been at their mercy during the procedure and if he feared for his life from this religious group, it is likely he would have given them what they asked for."

"You're saying they asked for a Horcrux as payment?" Severus asked in disbelief.

"Like I said, it is highly probable and something that must be considered in the greater scheme of things."

"So that means that there could be one of his Horcruxes here in the desert?"

"Indeed."

Severus blew out a breath of air. They were really going down the rabbit hole this time. He sighed. "Even if we were to find it though, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Every Horcrux is hidden in a different shroud."

"Indeed, but I believe I can narrow our search," the Director said. He waved his hand and two cushioned benches appeared on the stone terrace. Normally Severus would have made a mental note to ask the man about his wandless and wordless magic abilities, but he was so lost in thought, he paid it no mind.

"And what would that be?" he asked as he sat down.

Mubarak leaned forward in his seat. "The tribe of the Children of Anubis are nomadic as you know, but one place they are constantly drawn to is the pyramid of Giza as it is the one of the closest pyramids aligned with the sun and was seen for centuries as a gateway to the afterlife. Like I said, they are highly religious."

He sat back in his chair and waved his hand and a goblet of wine appeared in his and Severus's hands. The latter blinked but said nothing and raised the cup to his mouth.

"That is where they will most likely be," Mubarak finished. "They make their homes in the ancient tombs as it provides them with ample space to perform their bizarre rituals in search of the afterlife."

_Why do I feel as if we are discussing a bizarre subspecies of insect? _Severus thought absently. But he steeled himself to concentrate

"In a few days' time I will make the journey to Giza as it is only a few miles from here to make contact with the tribe," Mubarak said.

Severus coughed on the wine he had been drinking. "You are going there to ascertain whether or not Riddle undertook the procedure?" he asked in surprise.

Mubarak raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, how else are we to establish an understanding on the nature of these Horcruxes?"

Severus sucked on his teeth for a moment as he thought about what to say next….and then took a deep breath and did so. "Then would you mind if I accompanied you?"

The potions master had never seen the Director truly surprised but he figured that the eyebrow that Mubarak raised was as close as he was going to get. "Are you certain of this request Severus? It will not be without its share of danger."

This time, Severus was the one who stared out across the bay. "This affects my children Director. I wouldn't be worthy of the title of father if I didn't do everything possible in my power to protect them."

There was a long silence in which Mubarak eyed him carefully to the point where Severus wanted to squirm under his intense gaze.

"Very well then. But perhaps I should first educate you on what we can expect when we arrive there. The Children of Anubis are an ancient tribe as well and one of the things that they crave is the furthering of life, no matter how it is obtained."

"Hence, the Horcrux ritual."

"Precisely. One of the reasons why they would have asked for one of the Horcruxes is to further their own study of the discipline. There is a crude brilliance to them that many overlook as savagery, but we would be very unwise to dismiss them based on biased assumptions of their own bizarre nature," Mubarak said.

And then, before Severus had a chance to reply, he waved his hand and suddenly the air between them rippled, thickened and formed an image. It was the desert sands in Egypt and off in the distance, a series of pyramids were rapidly becoming visible.

Severus nearly upset the goblet of wine in surprise. "What on earth is this?" he asked, staring at the illusion in disbelief.

Mubarak reached out and without even touching the image, began to change the visibility, effectively making it zoom in, so the pyramids were easier to see.

"This is a clever piece of magic wrought about by one of my colleagues," Mubarak said, eyes never leaving the widening image in front of them. "We developed it a century and a half ago. It is similar to removing memories and placing them in a pensieve, however, one does not need a pensieve for it to work. Simply recall the memory, say the spell and it will appear in front of you."

"That sounds highly useful."

Mubarak proceeded to scroll the image in until the pyramid of Giza was the most prominent part of the image. The sun was shining in the background and shimmering waves of heat were rising from the desert sands.

"This is an image that was captured in the mind of a man who was a priest of Isis a few thousand years ago," Mubarak began. "During this period, worship of the gods was the primary cultural and economic way of life. You would not find a person who wasn't theistic in this age."

Severus wasn't sure of where this was going, but he sat back and listened carefully, figuring there was a point to be had somewhere.

"But as you know because the adherence to certain deities was more common than others, prejudice broke out. Re, the sun god was the primary deity revered, as the sun grew their plants and provided life to the people and animals. And as the sun is as old as time itself, Re was a powerful god who had the ability to wipe out life on the planet if he so chose.

"Unfortunately, having that type of power was also a great temptation to many of the other gods. Deities such as Seth coveted the power of Re, and in turn, their followers were up in arms against each other.

"The worshipers of Seth were cunning and their greatest aim was power, and believing that the god they worshiped would greatly reward them if they secured him a throne in the heavens like that of Re, they discovered the process of Horcrux building.

"Now it is said that when a person dies, their soul is sent to the afterlife where it is weighed to determine whether or not they are worthy to enter. If a person's soul is weighed down by the evil deeds they have done then they are sent to eternal punishment, but if their soul is light then they are allowed to enter the afterlife. However, if a person's soul is of average weight, then they are sent back to earth in the form of spirits to try and influence others to do good works so it may reflect on them so they may enter paradise. The Muggles believe it is the heart that is weighed, when in fact it is the soul.

"Now the followers of Seth were cunning, insane, but cunning. And they decided that they wanted to find a way to rise above their station and prove to the other peoples of Egypt that to follow Seth was the best way, and in turn, the only way."

_Why is this suddenly sounding so familiar? _Severus thought absently, but he said nothing.

"They wondered if there was a way to prevent their soul from ever reaching the afterlife as it is the only thing that passes on, so it must be a tangible thing. In a sense, they wanted to make themselves like the gods."

_So that is where that cockamamie idea of Riddle's came from, _Severus thought to himself. _He didn't just want to cheat death, he wanted to be like a god._

"It was a long while before they were able to succeed and it resulted in many brutal deaths before they were even able to find a soul and remove it. Naturally they never tried this on members of their own cult, and it was always children because they were seen as the weak."

Severus felt his blood boil as the first thing that he thought of was his son and daughter. What kind of monsters kidnapped children, took them apart and then ripped their souls out?

_Well…..Riddle would._

"They succeeded, thought the process was lengthy and exceedingly bloody," Mubarak continued in a grave voice. The lines in his face had grown hard as he gave the news of the tribe to Severus, and the potions master could see the director disliked telling it perhaps more than he himself liked receiving it.

"After achieving the first soul, they kept it in a canopic jar, preserving it so that it would be studied. After a time the process of researching how to separate the soul from itself began."

"How did they go about doing that?" Severus asked. "After all, a kitchen knife wouldn't do it."

The hint of a smile crossed Mubarak's face as he answered. "No, you are correct, it takes a special blade to separate the soul and if the person is still alive, they can feel it. They say the pain is like nothing you ever experienced and never will again."

He paused and his gaze grew cloudy as if reminiscing on some memory from the far past. "But legend also says that when the separation of a part of the soul is complete, it is like you are completely immune to the part of yourself. For example if you are to splice the segment of your soul that can feel emotion, you no longer feel anything."

"That certainly describes Riddle," Severus muttered.

"Precisely," Mubarak concurred. "But the process of finding a knife in order to splice the soul into segments was a long and arduous one. They searched for years and anointed many knives on altars to Seth before one of the chief elders of the tribe had a dream. In it, he was standing before the altar of Seth praying. The altar was in the Middle of the Desert and the sand was whirling around him, the sun beating down on him from on high. After a time, he looked up and saw a tall figure coming toward him. It was a man whose skin was blood red and he had eyes of ivory. He was dressed in a black tunic and there were sandals of silver on his feet. In his hand, he held a knife. It was as long as his forearm and glittered silver in the light of the sun. The chief threw himself at his feet, believing he was in the presence of a god. And when he looked up again, the man held out his hand so the chief could clearly see the knife.

"It was no ordinary blade and had runes all over the silver flat. There were amber stones carved into the hilt, and the blade itself was curved like a sickle. It was impossibly sharp and it was said that the man felt pain simply by looking at it.

"After ensuring that the chief had seen the blade clearly, the god brought it back to himself and before the chief's eyes, threw it across the desert sands where it sailed end over end until it disappeared from the horizon.

"When he awoke, there was a sharp stabbing pain in his chest and when he had torn his clothes, he saw that there was the harsh markings of a drawing of the sun in his skin. It was still bleeding, but he watched in astonishment as within a few seconds, the blood abated.

"The riddle puzzled the tribe for months until one day when there was a break through. They learned that the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in direct alignment with the sun to honor Re. And so that was the first place then went in search of the knife. Many of the tribe believed the god who had spoken to their elder was Seth, and it was he who had cast the knife. They went at once to the temple in search of it, but after weeks of searching, they found nothing. It was only after the eldest of the tribe had gone in search in one of the deepest tombs, they found a peculiar canopic jar and opened it to reveal the very knife they were in search of.

"Overjoyed, they decided to remain in that place for a time, and set up a…torture chamber so to speak…..in one of the lower tombs. To this day they believed that the pyramid of Giza is where Seth will speak to them the most, and so they are hesitant to ever permanently leave the place."

Severus sat back in his chair, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with all the information he had just received.

"And so, we're going after this tribe, to find out what they know about Riddle, and with some luck, destroy one of the Horcruxes he gave to them as payment," he said slowly surmising the information.

"That is the long and short of it."

Severus blew out a breath. "And Giza is where you think they will be?"

The Director sat back and folded his hands in his lap. His gaze was out to the bay, which looked warm and safe, but Severus felt the conversation had taken a slightly darker turn and unconsciously pulled his robes tighter about his shoulders. Mubarak took a sip from his goblet of wine.

"I know they will be there Severus."

The potions master exhaled sharply. "Well then…when do we leave?"

Ω

All was quiet in the halls of the Zaeem family home.

A gentle breeze was blowing off the river and down the open stone hallways and through the wide windows. The palm trees and lotus plants whistled as the wind rushed through them. The palm fronds knocked against each other and emitted peculiar sounds. The river roared past and off in the distance on the oasis, if one listened carefully enough, they could hear the call of exotic birds and the whinny of horses.

All was peaceful.

At least on the outside.

Deep in the heart of the Zaeem palace, there was a room with tall ceilings made of stone. The floors were covered with plush black and gold carpeting. On the left side of the room, there was no wall, only a set of four tall stone pillars that opened onto a wide balcony which overlooked the river and the lands beyond. When one first walked into the room, the first thing they saw was a tall ivory fire place along with four large bronze braziers set up in each corner of the room. There was a tall bed on the left side that was circular and had a cylindrical pillow that resembled a plush sausage.

There was a decorative reed mat sitting a few feet from the fireplace with a golden bowl full of black powder in it, and sitting on the mat, legs crossed, head bowed, eyes closed in deep concentration, was a man.

He was old by the standards of sorcerers…..about four centuries. He had lived much, seen much.

Yes indeed, Rahotep Zaeem was a man who dreamed dreams and saw visions. He had seen the rise and fall of empires and the establishment of kingdoms through the eyes of his ancestors. He was a man that time loved, for he seemed ageless. It was thanks to potions and careful diet and exercise that had prolonged his life, but Rahotep knew that he could not pass on to the Afterlife. Not yet…..his family needed him.

And something dark and sinister had been besieging his mind of late.

He opened his eyes again and began chanting a strange song. Rahotep was from a long line of priests who had passed down the art of Seeing through the ages. When the bizarre lullaby was complete, he seized a handful of black powder from the bowl sitting beside him and flung it into the fire.

The flame sputtered for a few seconds and nearly died when suddenly, an image appeared in it. It was an image of the desert sands of Egypt, the sun slowly heading west where it would set against the age old dunes that had existed for thousands of years. Rahotep could see the pyramids in the distance.

All appeared well and he was about to cancel the spell for the night, dismiss his dreams as the result of a mind lacking sleep and fraught with age, when the image in the flames changed.

Rahotep peered closer at the picture dancing in the fire and saw that the foremost pyramid, the Pyramid of Giza was no longer empty. There was a small hole at the bottom from which figures were pouring out of. Some gathered around the base of the pyramid and others began to scale the walls until they had formed four long lines leading from the bottom to the pinnacle of the pyramid.

Rahotep watched in stunned silence when as one, the figures raised their arms and began chanting in a loud voices, in an ancient language that hadn't been spoken since Osiris ruled Egypt.

A cold chill crept up the old man's skin as he watched the very obvious religious ceremony take place.

Finally, the figures on the pyramid sang one last long spine tingling note. There was a horrible moment of silence, and then suddenly and without warning, the sky was ripped in two.

Coming down out of an eerie blackness that lay in the space between where the sky had ripped, was an enormous serpent. It was jet black but had sparks of color shooting through it as it writhed through the air and had eyes that sparked golden lightning. Its fangs were as long as Rahotep himself and glittering in the light of the sun.

But even as fearsome as the creature was, Rahotep was more focused on the figure on its back. It was the figure of a man with red skin, he had the face of a jackel. He held a staff in his hands and was dressed in the clothes of the ancient pharaohs. He also held the crook and road that were ceremonial tools that most of the rulers had been buried with. There was a tall crown on his head and a feral smile on his lips.

The snake…..known to mythology as Apophis….the chaos snake, reached the ground and the man jumped off. As soon as his sandaled feet touched the ground, he grew until he was eight feet tall. Immediately, the figures gathered around the pyramid fell on their faces.

The god opened his mouth and gave a loud roar which shook the sun. He then slammed his staff into the earth, and then turned and raised his arms to the sun. Apophis, who had been circling over his head in the air, gave a roar and turned toward the sun before diving toward it…and swallowing it whole.

Rahotep gasped and jerked back from the flames, but the images weren't finished yet. The sky in the image had gone utterly black, but an eerie voice began floating out of it, it sounded deep, as deep as the earth.

_"__A price must be paid. I will have what I am owed. Vengeance will be mine…and I will pry it from your cold…..dead…..fingers. I will have what is rightfully mine."_

And then the image in the fire burst into a million sparks which disappeared into the flames. The room grew quiet again and there were no sounds but the crackling fire and the breeze blowing in the balcony off the river.

But there was no silence in the mind of Rahotep Zaeem. He had had a vision of the future…one potential future, one they were all doomed to face if something didn't happen to prevent this god from returning.

Rahotep looked up from his clenched hands, into the flames and spoke with a voice as old as the sands themselves.

"He is coming."

Ω

**Gosh guys, I'm sorry about the long wait between updates. Things have been so hectic, that coming up with ideas is sometimes difficult. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as this is where the story really starts to build. The story of Isis and Osiris in this chapter I twisted a bit for my own purposes, the actual story is a bit different. I hope you guys like it and be sure to review. Until next time everyone :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

"Severus, are you certain that this is a good idea?" Jasmina asked.

After a day of lessons for both father and children, Severus decided they all deserved some time to unwind and had invited Jasmina to accompany them to the beach. She had heartily accepted and they made their way there without delay. It was then that Severus had broached the subject of the hunt for the Horcruxes and what they were planning to do.

The twins were playing in the surf and were thankfully too far away to hear anything and too young to understand what was going on. The sun was shining brightly and the waves were lapping at the sand. Severus and Jasmina were sitting on one of the woven reed mats that he had found in the house they were staying in, watching the twins play.

"What other choice do I have Mina? If Riddle paid the children of Anubis with one of his Horcruxes and we find it, then we will be one step closer to getting rid of him once and for all."

"You honestly believe that he will make a return?"

Severus turned and looked out to the bay area. "I do. As long as his Horcruxes are out there, he cannot die and I refuse to sit back and do nothing."

Jasmina sighed and sat back before running a hand through her long curly hair. "I cannot fault that logic. But do you really think it is wise to go storming in there, just the two of you? You don't know how many the Children of Anubis number. I remember hearing stories of them as a child. Whenever my brothers misbehaved my mother would goad them to obedience with tales of Seth's worshipers. They are a group of self-pleasing tyrants."

"I don't disagree with that," Severus conceded. "But I don't see what other option I have. Riddle will be making a return. It's just a question of when. We need as many advantages as possible."

Jasmina got to her feet and walked out to the shore so she could watch the twins more closely. "The whole thing makes me nervous. It will be just the two of you and though Director Mubarak is powerful, you do not know what weapons the Children of Anubis possess. They may have surprises in the pyramid of Giza that you know nothing of. These are the people who literally wrote the book on soul splitting. They have a weapon given to them by a god and you still think this is a good idea?"

Severus got to his feet and looked at her. "What do you want me to do Mina? These are my children we're talking about. This affects them directly, I cannot sit back and watch Riddle return to power because when he inevitably does, he's going to come after them."

"I'm not suggesting that you do not go. Obviously you need to pursue this lead. But what if you had some back up?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked frowning. There was an odd gleam in her eye that he wasn't sure he liked.

"Suppose I were to go with you?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Severus exclaimed. Then he grimaced and lowered his voice, before taking her arm and drawing her slightly away from where the twins could hear them.

"This is going to be a stealth mission only. We get in, we get what we need and we get out. The more people who come, the more likely it is that we'll be seen." He turned away to look at the two small children playing on the shore. "Besides, this is something that I have to do and I can't worry about whether or not someone is going to get hurt. Better it be me than anyone else."

"What a noble sentiment," Jasmina muttered sarcastically. She couldn't help it, the whole thing made her very nervous.

"Do you truly think that something will go wrong?" she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"I don't know, but the last thing I want to do is sit on my hands when the future of the twins is left up to speculation. I can't do that Mina."

"I understand, but might I make a suggestion at least?"

"What is it?"

"Have my father go with you."

Severus started. What an ingenious idea. He had truly never thought of that option before and wondered why.

"He has more dealings with the Children of Anubis then I know, and he will know what to expect. Plus he and Mubarak are good friends. I've known the Director since I was a child and sometimes it seems as if my father and he are of the same mind."

"It's an excellent idea," Severus agreed. "I will pose it to the Director, but if he and your father are as close as you say, then Mubarak may have asked him already."

Ω

Jasmina rode home that evening feeling pensive. She didn't really like the idea of Severus putting himself in harm's way for information. She agreed with him that it was necessary but it didn't make her any less uneasy. She wondered what he was going to do with the twins while he was away. She hoped he wouldn't ask her to mind them, because while she loved Henry and Ria, she had an ulterior motive in this whole debacle.

She made a mental note to ask her father about going with Severus and the Director when she returned. There was safety in numbers and at least with two powerful men in the company, the chance for harm was lessened.

Severus would do anything for his children, but she had a feeling that he still had no idea what he was getting himself into. She needed to do some research and her great great great grandfather's library would be the place to do it.

However, no sooner had she passed through the Outer Courtyard around the palace, and crossed the river, she was met at the doorway by Adil, and judging by the expression on his face, something was very wrong.  
"What is it?" She asked for his face had grown dark with trouble. He shook his head once and took her by the arm. "Come we need to go to the advisory, Grandfather Rahotep has called for a council."  
That was alarming news indeed. Grandfather Rahotep was so old that his mind sometimes wandered to places where they couldn't follow. He was from a long line of priests that dated back to the pharaohs. He had the gift of foresight, but it wasn't a central concept. He had always told his children since they were very young that the future was a lucid thing. The choices they made determined tomorrow, and so what he would see was not the future, but merely possibilities. Yet he hadn't had a vision in decades and the possibilities were always ominous. But though most had been avoided, that had still left them with some ominous predictions and some alarming backlash.  
The last time one had happened, Jasmina was fourteen years old and still didn't fully understand the magnitude of what was happening. But now that she was twenty four and the concept of Seeing had been explained to her in depth, the idea of one coming true was absolutely terrifying.  
So when Adil told her that her great great great grandfather had called a council, most likely to impart a new vision, it was a cause for alarm.  
The beautiful Egyptian followed her brother into the palace, down a series of hallways and then out onto the terrace where the party had been a week ago. They hurried down into the rushes on the edge of the river and continued on until they had reached the palace made of solid gold, the one their ancestors had been very proud of. A continuous river of water flowed through the center of the temple for almost a mile until about halfway through, it flowed over the enormous golden feet of the statue of Isis. It was said that her most potent magic still resided in the statue, and if one came too close they would come away with the hair on their arms singed, for the power of immortals was no match for witches and wizards of this age.  
As Adil and Jasmina hurried toward it, their eyes took in the scene it created, and then they drew to halt when they reached it and gave a bow as a sign of respect.  
The rest of the temple carried on in much the same manner, tall pillars, flashing hieroglyphs and the river flowing through the middle of the temple leading away from the statue. When they had reached two thirds of the way through the temple, they reached a small bronze bridge crossing the river and brother led sister over it to the other side. When they had reached the opposite pathway, they continued on another few hundred yards before they reached a tall archway on the left side of the path that was raised high over their heads and done in colors of black and gold, the colors of the Zaeem family.  
They turned left and hurried down it. It was about three hundred yards and the entire hallway was toasted sandstone with indentations in each side of the wall every few feet in the shape of a pentagon. Standing in the impressed places of the wall were tall black pots with handles on both sides of the neck.  
Straight ahead of them there was a tall closed black limestone doorway. It bore no other adornments other than a single doorknob about waist height on the left hand side. It was in the shape of an eight pointed star, stuck on a small post protruding from the door itself.  
Adil reached for it, and then turned the star three times to the left and then four times to the right, as seven was a lucky number in Egyptian mythology and then pushed it into the wall. There was a loud clicking sound and the door swung free and the siblings entered a room they hadn't set foot into in ten years.  
The council chamber of the Zaeem family, or the advisory, as they called it, was one of the oldest rooms in the Zaeem palaces. Its ceilings weren't very high, but they were done in a dark green limestone with ridged archways in the ceiling every ten feet. There were pale green pillars, ten on each side of the room with a small overhang on the left side of the wall on one side, and the right side of the wall on the other. In the center of the room, there was a long rectangular pool only a few feet wide that ran almost the entire length of the room. At the head of the room, in the form of a tall black and gold hieroglyph, was the statue of Isis and her husband, Jafar, in his gold like form of Osiris, Lord of the Underworld. They stood together, the respective heads of the Zaeem family, forever immortalized in the rock and as Jasmina and her brother entered the room, the hieroglyphs of the two of them began to glow.  
Jasmina looked around and saw, assembled on gold and black woven mats around the pool, all of the elder members of her family, her older aunts and uncles as well as older cousins and brothers. Even her mother, Hatshepsut was there. This was a cause for an eyebrow raise as Hatshepsut and her eldest brother Mustafa had departed a week earlier for their work in the Japanese Institute. For them to be back so soon was a little bizarre.  
After greeting her mother, Hatshepsut drew her daughter into one of the secluded corners away from the rest of the men.  
"Mother, what is the cause for alarm?" Jasmina asked. "Why has Grandfather Rahotep called this meeting? Has he Seen something?"  
"The parallels in our questions are the same," Hatshepsut replied. "I received a message from your father no more than a quarter of an hour ago, asking that Mustafa and I return home with all haste. He has not seen fit to share with me what the urgency of this meeting is."

Jasmina stifled a groan. She loved her family, but sometimes the secrets they all kept were enough to drive her batty. She glanced up at the head of the room and caught Zafeer in communication with her second eldest brother Cheres and her uncle Hagiel. He served in an Institute in Germany and she didn't see him much either and her uncle was one of the many scribes that lived throughout the palace.

There was no sign of Rahotep however.

Jasmina made note of the fact that aside from her mother, she was the only other female in the room. None of her aunts or cousins were here, and this was more than a little confusing.

"Come, let us sit," Hatshepsut said interrupting her daughter's thoughts. "Perhaps you can tell me more of this Severus Andronicus that you are currently spending your time with."

Jasmina wanted to roll her eyes, did the whole family know?

However, they had no sooner settled themselves onto the smaller mats surrounding the long pool when a deep gong sounded in the distance and the door behind them to which they had all walked through opened and a small figure shuffled into the room.

He was dressed in a long black robe that brushed the floor as he moved and there were thick golden bands on his upper arms. His hair was almost completely white with a smattering of salt and pepper at his temples in and his hands, he held a gnarled staff.

Jasmina had only seen it a few times and it was said to have been taken from the bark of the tree that had fashioned the final resting place of Osiris, and still contained part of the fading essence of the god.

No one said anything as they watched him. Rahotep was the oldest of the Zaeem family and at four hundred and fifty years old had seen enough to outlast them all. What's more, besides his gift of Seeing into the past and the future, he also had a memory that remembered every action and deed he had taken from the day of his birth. He had access to all the memories of his ancestors through the vials he kept in his vast study and library and

Rahotep's face was a mass of wrinkles, but his golden eyes still snapped with an intelligence that was not to be underestimated. He walked with slow but sure steps around the room to its head where he sat down slowly on the last available mat and rested the long staff over his crossed knees.

The chamber was utterly silent as he settled himself in. All eyes were on him as he calmly spread his robe over his knees.

Finally, Zafeer broke the silence. "Grandfather, what is this meeting you have called? I imagine I speak for everyone when I inquire as to the suddenness of this congregation."

There was another long silence in which Rahotep closed his eyes. A sickly sweet smell of incense filled the chamber and at once, Jasmina began to feel slightly drowsy. Finally, her grandfather spoke.

"I have had a vision," he said in his low thick gravelly voice that reminded Jasmina of papyrus being unfurled. He looked around at each of his children and younger family members before continuing in a voice as ominous and somber as a funeral eulogy. "Seth will return."

For a moment, there was a deafening silence in the chamber. Jasmina felt cold icy fingers reach out and seize hold of her stomach, twisting it into knots.

It was as if the whole room took a breath before the silence broke and the advisory exploded into an uproar. Jasmina looked at her mother amidst the shouting and saw that her beautiful face had gone deathly white, she reached out and took Hatshepsut's hand, feeling the vice like grip of fear clamp around her chest. Her family was yelling back and forth across the room, and the entire chamber was just a cacophony of noise.

Jasmina had often heard bedtime stories when she was small about Seth. He had been one of the venerated gods that had stood in the bow of the ship that was controlled by Re, fending off enemies and the forces of darkness. It was when Osiris and Isis married and his brother went down to rule Egypt that the trouble began.

After he had murdered his brother, the armies of Re advanced into Nubia to quell a rebellion that had been led by Seth. When Seth had failed to convince Isis to return to the gods after she had hidden herself in Egypt and married Jafar, he turned his attention to the conquest of the world. He had threatened her family a number of times and had even kidnapped one of her younger daughters which the eldest son Horus had to rescue.

It was at this time that Jafar, Isis and Horus knew that Seth was a mad man and needed to be stopped. It was then that Horus and Isis went to the god of wisdom, Thoth and asked for his assistance. In return, Thoth granted Isis a sun disk which had the power to give a man wings. Isis, using her own magic gifted the wings to her sun so that he would be victorious in battle over Seth.

When their armies met and clashed, Horus used the wings he had been given and flew straight at the sun before staring down at his enemies with the fearsome stare of magic that his mother had gifted to him. Their enemies became confused and turned on each other in fear and rage. When the massacre was over, Horus swooped down and discovered that Seth was not among the bodies on the ground. Knowing that his uncle was full of trickery and deceit, it did not escape his knowledge that his enemies were still strong.

Re however, believed their enemies to be dead and rejoiced, saying to his followers, "Come let us go to the Nile, for our adversaries are no more."

Unfortunately, not all of their enemies were dead and the followers of Seth were still strong. Seth gave his followers powerful magic and commanded them to turn themselves in hippopotami and crocodiles with thick hides for an attack on the sun boat of Re, which they did. Horus however, equipped his army with lances of iron and heavy chains that his mother Isis had charmed with magic.

When the attack on the boat came, many of the followers of Seth turned beasts, were slain by the magic weapons that Isis had charmed. Horus was not satisfied with the victory however and he pursued Seth south where another great battle took place and the conflicts continued for quite some time.

Finally, the armies of Re and Horus sailed north in Egypt where the followers of Seth, still in their beast form had hidden themselves underwater. Horus's magical weapons continued to do great damage and almost four hundred prisoners were taken before the boat of Re to be executed. Seth still managed to allude them however. During this time of searching, the god of trickery was discovered and brought before the boat of Re by Horus himself. And Re gave Horus leave to do with Seth whatever he wished as it was he who had the most claim to wrest vengeance.

And so Horus chopped Seth into pieces and threw the pieces into a similar box that Seth had cast Osiris into years earlier. He then called upon the power of Re and the magic of his mother and created a separate dimension in which he cast the box carrying the remains of Seth. He then closed the hole in the sky where he had been placed and thus Seth was defeated.

Until now it seemed.

The uproar in the room was reaching volcanic proportions before Zafeer decided to put his two cents in.

"Brethren!" he roared over the noise, and immediately, everyone went quiet. "May we please act like the civilized sorcerers we are? Grandfather sees no definite things, yet possibilities. Therefore let us take now our rationality and return to the matter at hand." His thunderous voice echoed throughout the chamber like the deep beat of a drum, and with a soft murmur, everyone returned to their seats. Zafeer looked at each one of them carefully in turn as he did so before he turned back to Rahotep who gave him a slow nod of deference.

"Thank you my son," he said slowly, in a voice as old as the sands themselves. There was another moment where everyone else settled themselves back down again and all eyes were on Rahotep once more before he spoke again.

"In the dark of the night past, I was awakened by dreams, and finding no rest, I took in my hand the powder to see if I could ascertain the source of my wakefulness. Having cast it into the flames, an image came to me. It was a picture of the desert sands of Egypt and the pyramid of Giza was the main point of interest. A group of figures had swarmed out of the pyramid, lined every curve of it, and raised their arms to heaven, chanting in voices not of the children of men."

There was a palpable intake of breath in the chamber as if everyone needed air in order to take in what was to be said next. Jasmina looked around at the deadly serious faces of her family. All the visages of the men had grown hard as stone and Adil looked a little pale.

"Once the chanting had reached its conclusions, there was a sound as if someone had ripped the earth in two and the sky itself split in half. Emerging from it, was Chaos itself."

A gasp rippled throughout the room, and Jasmina locked eyes with her brother, who at this point was beginning to look a little green.

Apophis was a being almost as old as Re and had been the sun god's chief enemy before he had been cast into darkness. There had been untold stories and mythology about the great wrestling matches between Re and Apophis. He was a creature that could not be controlled, such as his nature.

"What can this mean?" Hagiel asked. "And when can such an event occur?"

"It cannot be timed, for the future is a lucid event. It cannot be times nor bound, yet merely guessed at," Rahotep replied calmly. He seemed almost borderline irrationally calm, but when the man had lived for four centuries, there was little now that could stir him.

Except perhaps for news of an impending apocalypse.

Zafeer got to his feet which drew the attention of the rest of the people in the room. "This cannot stand. Seth has had a vendetta against our family since Horus bound him and cast him into the darkness thousands of years ago. He will rain down fire on our head from on high if he returns, we cannot allow this to happen."

"What are we to do?" Mustafa said getting up to face his father. Mustafa was the eldest of the Zaeem generation stemming from Zafeer himself. Sometimes when Jasmina would hear the two of them speaking, she would confuse them. Mustafa had the same black curly hair that brushed his collar and the same golden eyes that everyone in their family sported. He was dressed in a long black robe same as Zafeer and had a gold armband around his left bicep. The ends of his robe were clasped at his left shoulder and he had sandals upon his feet.

"I do not doubt the bravery and cunning of this family father, but we no longer have Horus and Isis to fight with us, they disappeared thousands of years ago and left us their legacy. We are their descendants. We do not possess their power, we are merely protected by it."

There was a murmur throughout the chamber as the family took in his words. Jasmina had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth, but caught Adil's eye from across the room and he shook his head slightly so she shut it with a snap.

"If I may clarify one point," Cheres, her second eldest brother said getting to his feet and addressing Rahotep. The Zaeem patriarch inclined his head to his great great great grandson to let him continue.

Unlike his elder brother and his father, Cheres was dressed in a sun toasted tunic of deep beige tones and his hair was a chest nut brown, not the jet black that so many of the Zaeems favored. Zafeer had always laughed that he had gotten it from his mother's side of the family.

"We do not know the date nor the hour in which the sky will be rent and Chaos and Seth will emerge from the void, but we do know the manner in which he will be raised and the ones who will do it," Cheres went on, looking around the advisory at each member of his family. "Let us ask ourselves who would be the ones who serve Seth and in turn would have the power to perform such an act as freeing two ancient beings from the void."

There was a moment of silence as everyone pondered his words.

"The Children of Anubis," Jasmina whispered and instantly all eyes were on her. For a moment, she felt her cheeks flare with heat, but she strongly charged herself not to bow out now. Zafeer had looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Speak on then daughter, there is more that you wish to say."

Jasmina took a deep breath and squeezed Hatshepsut's hand before getting to her feet and making her way slowly to the front of the room.

"The Children of Anubis are the only ones who would possess such knowledge to be able to reach into the void and call forth Chaos and Trickery." She turned to her father. "I was raised on stories of their brutality and crude brilliance, they are not to be underestimated and if we seek answers, then I believe they are the ones we should wrest it from."

She returned to her seat, and the room was silent for a time. Finally, Rahotep struck the floor, causing nearly everyone in the room, save Zafeer, to flinch.

"Jasmina is right," he said in his rough gravelly voice. "The Children of Anubis have been devout worshipers of Seth of the last four millennia. They scattered when Seth was cast into the void by Horus, but they are by no means without their power. They must be sought after."

The murmuring that followed this statement was by no means explosive such as the first reaction, but it was not quiet either.

"How are we to do that?" Hagiel asked. "The Children of Anubis are a nomadic tribe, they rarely rest in one place. To seek them would to be to reach out and seize hold of a fish only to have to slip through your fingers time and time again."

There was a murmuring of agreement.

In answer to the observation, Rahotep reached into his tunic and pulled a small black vial from a long golden chain hanging around his throat. He uncorked it and pulled a handful of black powder into his palm. He covered it with both hands, brought it close to his face and began to whisper in a rough gravelly voice. It almost sounded as if he was singing and everyone strained to listen to him as the bizarre song continued.

Finally he finished and then threw the powder out over the surface of the water of the pool. For a moment, there was nothing and then the air over the water rippled, thickened and formed an image.

It was a picture of the desert sands, particularly the pyramid of Giza at its center. Everyone leaned in, Including Jasmina. Their heads were all stretched out over the pool as they took in the image. There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at the pyramids. Finally, when the small black figures began to swarm out of the hole at its base, there was a collective gasp. They formed the telltale symbols, lifted their arms to heaven and began to chant in a strange tongue.

Jasmina saw Hatshepsut pale as if she understood what was being said. Unfortunately, as soon as she opened her mouth to ask, there was a sound like she had never before and then the clear blue sky in the image was torn in two. A black space began to appear, and emerging from it was the most enormous serpent she had ever seen. It wasn't all one color, but many and the most dangerous part was that it was literally hard to look at. It had an energy that she could feel practically crackling with electricity. She had to blink her eyes several times in order to take the creature in and even then it was hard.

"Apophis," she heard Mustafa whisper, but no one answered him.

All of a sudden, there was another gasp from those gathered and Jasmina peered closer and beheld a small red figure riding on the serpents back. He had the head of a jackal and was bare chest, wearing only a white linen tunic from the waist down. He had a peculiar staff in his hand and sandals on his feet and there was the glow of black fire in his eyes.

"Seth," Hatshepsut whispered, her face having gone deadly white.

As soon as the serpent neared the ground, the man, or god rather, leapt off of it and as soon as his feet touched the earth, he grew until he was at least eight feet tall. When he had steadied himself, he let out a peculiar roar that shook the ground and made the image over the water shudder. The serpent did the same, although it was much louder than its rider. And then at Seth's direction, Chaos turned toward the sun…and swallowed it whole.

The image then shattered into a thousand dark fragments.

The silence that followed however, was even more shattering.

Zafeer got to his feet before the family soup pot of voices could explode once more. "My brothers and sisters, please let us refrain from panicking. A good deal of the prophecies Grandfather has issued have been avoided."

"There has never been one of this magnitude father," Jasmina's third eldest brother Rashid protested. "How can we be sure that such a feat is possible? Seth plans to make a return and when he does, his vengeance will be as swift as the Nile."

There was a murmuring of agreement. Zafeer turned to Rahotep. "Grandfather, was there anything else you were able to ascertain from this vision?"

"Only my son, the ones who were able to raise Trickery."

An odd look came over Zafeer's face. Without another word, he turned to the rest of the family who had leaned forward in expectation.

"This is indeed grave news," he murmured, his thunderous voice dying to all but a whisper. "I ask for the family's patience and steadfastness while the extent of this plot can be vetted and determined."

While his words were quiet, there was no mistaking the firmness in them and as Zafeer was the head of the Zaeem family, no one questioned it. The Zaeems had a peculiar process of choosing a new head of house when the former head chose to step down or was too old to continue his duties. It mattered not on the ranking of brothers. The oldest member of the family, in this case, Rahotep would choose which son from the younger generation would assume the mantle. And Zafeer had drawn the shortest straw.

There was a slight murmuring as the younger sons and cousins got up to leave. Jasmina and was just going to do so when Zafeer called out: "Jasmina, will you, Adil and my dear wife remain behind?"

All three exchanged glances but did as he asked without question. When the door to the advisory was finally shut, Zafeer let out a sigh and Adil looked at his father in alarm. Hatshepsut walked over to her husband and took his hand. "Is it really true, what are the possibilities of such a thing happening? Of Seth returning?"

"I know not darling wife. However it is a possibility that must be entertained." Zafeer turned away from Hatshepsut to the pool, knelt down and scooped a handful of water into his palm. He stared at it as if it contained all the secrets in the universe.

"It was the Children of Anubis was it not?"

All eyes turned to Jasmina as she found she couldn't keep quiet for one more moment or she would explode.

Zafeer's golden eyes met his daughter's with a scalding intensity. "Indeed, which makes the path to take simpler, but no less difficult."

"We must find them father," Adil broke in. "Find them and wrest the truth from them."

"Nay," Zafeer's voice turned hard. "We must find them yes, but wrest the truth from them, no. The last thing that is needed is for us to incept any ideas into their heads. If they have not yet perceived of this notion then we must not speed along the process, or it could spell doom before we are able to act."

"Do you think this course one to be easily altered Zafeer?" Hatshepsut asked, her eyes ablaze with light. Jasmina looked at her mother carefully, knowing the woman to be quite stubborn when she wanted to as it seemed to be a trait that was hereditary.

"Perhaps, if we act now. It seemed that the ritual to raise Seth from oblivion was conducted outside of Giza, but a great deal many rituals and objects must be garnered for such a thing to take place. Horus was half god when the act of casting Seth from the earth occurred. It will take a while for the Children of Anubis to gather the strength to pull Trickery from his purgatory. If anything it would take them many years. But no matter, there is one thing that must be done now."

Jasmina and Adil exchanged glances. "And what is that father?"

Zafeer turned and looked at the twin statues of Jafar and Isis standing at the head of the room. "I must seek out the Children of Anubis and ascertain for myself how powerful they are. And seeing as how I received a message no more than a half an hour ago from Navid Mubarak asking me to accompany him and Severus Andronicus to Giza to do such a thing, it seems we are all on the same page."

"Severus is going?" Adil asked, surprised. "What on earth for?"

Zafeer turned and eyed Jasmina who suddenly wanted to squirm. "I would encourage you to research the black magic that are Horcruxes my son. For the answer will be tied up in there."

Adil's face went pale. "Horcruxes? But that is a practice of myth! Who on earth would possess the skills to do such a thing?"  
"The Children of Anubis," Jasmina whispered, eyes locked on her father even though she heard Hatshepsut gasp. Zafeer's face was unreadable, but his eyes had grown as hard as frozen gold.

"Indeed, and it seems Master Andronicus has a vetted interest in the subject, mayhap pertaining to his children. Therefore, I must go to secure both interests."

"Father, if it is a matter of safety, then perhaps I should come as well," Adil ventured, ignoring the look his sister shot him. "It will only be the three of you, and perhaps I can help add to the security."

"This is not a formal gathering my son. The Children of Anubis are brutal. All the stories your mother told you as a child were more true than not and you have been in less duels then all of your brothers. Their secret arts can only be guessed at and I do not adhere to a…..as the Muggles say…kick down the door, go in guns blazing approach."

Such a line would have been funny, but no one was laughing. Adil looked a little pale, but determined, and Jasmina felt a slightly misplaced feeling of pride for her brother. Which was why she decided to speak up.

"Then perhaps, I should accompany this scouting party as well, seeing as how the more there are, the less chance there is for harm."

"Absolutely not!" It was Hatshepsut who spoke this time. "You are my only daughter and you are not to go off gallivanting with the most zealous religious group in the last four thousand years. Do you know what they do to young women?"

"That will happen two any young woman who does not know how to defend herself. I have been learning to duel since I was six years of age," Jasmina protested. She was not to be deterred. The thought of Severus going in there alone made her very nervous, at least she would be able to provide him with information.

"The theory of a duel and the practical application of it are two completely different matters," Zaeem said gravely, eyeing his daughter. "Do not allow your heart to speak for your head daughter."

Jasmina raised her chin and met her father's gaze without trembling. "I am not. Were you not the one father, who often told me that the benefit of information is worth the risks one takes to get to it? I must do this, for the good of this family. I am accomplished in the magical arts and have I not competed in the many competitions when I was in school. I was trained by you and Director Mubarak himself as were we all."

"You cannot allow this," Hatshepsut hissed at her husband. He however, continued looking at his youngest child.

"Allow me to think on the matter more," was all he said. Jasmina nodded, keeping her smile hidden. She knew it would be foolish to ask for more right now, but at least she had tried. Severus had no idea what he was getting himself into and perhaps if she went, she would be able to help prepare him.

"There are several calls I need to make," Zafeer said calmly and Hatshepsut looked very annoyed. "I must be returning to Japan," she said shortly. "Please call me when a decision has been reached." She turned and swiftly left the room. Zafeer turned to leave as soon as the door shut, but turned back when Adil called out after him.

"Do you really think we will need to prepare for a battle when we go Father?" he asked. Zafeer paused with his back to his youngest son, hand on the door of the advisory, poised to go out again.

"No my son…..I fear we are preparing for war."

Ω

"Sev, are you certain about this?"

It was the afternoon of the next day and Severus had decided that he was going to make a call back to Italy to inform his other family of what he was planning on doing.

Thankfully, Emilia hadn't been home when he called and Tony's head had appeared in the flames. Severus had explained all about the new lead on the Horcrux hunt in Giza and how he and Mubarak were going to make their way there with all haste to determine whether or not Riddle had gone to the Children of Anubis to have the…..procedure done.

Antonius of course had wanted to know all about it and Severus had spent the past half an hour explaining everything in detail, down to what sandals his cousins was wearing and finally Severus had had enough.

"Tony, you're beginning to sound a little bit like Aunt Emilia. We're not planning on engaging in any type of dueling and I'm going to be with the Director who, aside from Jasmina's father is one of the most powerful men in Egypt, if not the magical community internationally. I very much doubt that there is anything they could do that would surprise him."

However, he wasn't sure if he himself bought that logic. This was a people group that he had had absolutely no experience with and while he had communicated with Death Eaters, it was always in social settings and wands were never drawn.

His cousin huffed. "I just want to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't dueling club at school Sev, it sounds like these guys mean business and if you rub them the wrong way, and you could be missing a limb."

"I know, but I don't plan on insulting anyone, and it's not like I'm going on my own."

"What are Henry and Ria going to do while you're gone?"

Severus paused here. "Well that's one of my reasons for calling Tony. I was kind of hoping that you would take them back to Italy for the day. Nothing's going to happen, but I don't want them anywhere near this, and they haven't seen Emilia in a while."

Antonius raised an eyebrow. "I you don't think that nothing's going to happen, then why do you want them out of the country when this goes down?"

"Do you not want them to visit?" Severus asked back. But the truth was, there was a grain of truth in what Tony was saying. He didn't want the twins anywhere near this, which was why he hadn't asked Jasmina if she would mind them.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend to watch them?" Antonius asked curiously and Severus flinched. Things had been going well with Jasmina, but that was part of what worried him. What if it was all too good to be true? He had always been a failure in love. There had been no one else he had ever loved but Lily, and when he realized that he couldn't have her, he had sworn he would never love another. Then he had found out he was a father and had her die in front of him, and then that had been it for him. She had broken his heart twice and he had simply decided that his fate wasn't to have a partner in life.

But then he had met Jasmina.

She was everything that Lily wasn't, a notion that was both worrying and intriguing. She was intelligent, beautiful, talented and compassionate. The twins were crazy about her and she seemed just as much about them.

And he would be lying if he said he couldn't see a future with her.

Another terrifying thought.

But he didn't want her involved in this anymore then she should be and so he hadn't asked her to engage in any responsibility.

"Because I want them to see their grandmother, she's been asking when they are going to come for a visit, and while I can't go because of this, they still can. I don't want to deprive them of the opportunity."

Antonius sighed. "Very well, when will you be bringing them?"

"Tony you forget the Institute's policy. I'm not allowed to leave the country for the next seven years. I have to obtain permission from the Director for you to come here and collect them," Severus patiently explained.

"You're right, I forgot. Very well then, I will come to collect them straight away. Oh and by the way, did you tell Aunt Emilia what you were doing?"

"Not on your life."

"Good man."

Ω

The morning they were to depart for Giza dawned clear and bright. The night before Severus had greeted his cousin and the twins were delighted to be spending time with their grandmother and favorite uncle.

They had hugged their father goodbye and hurried off to the fireplace portkey, waving goodbye to Hassan as they did so.

Severus had been surprised how simple it had been to obtain permission to have Tony come and collect the twins. Then again, he and the Director had an excellent working relationship. He wasn't sure if he could call Mubarak a friend, but a mentor at the very least.

With the twins taken care of, it was one worry off of Severus's mind, and he now turned to the nervousness of the trip to Giza. The week had passed much too fast for the potions master. He had spent uncounted hours researching what he could about the Children of Anubis and what he could expect from them. Jasmina had helped when she could, but he could sense that she was pensive about something and more than once he opened his mouth to ask her what was the matter, but closed it after a few seconds.

Jasmina for her part was feeling apprehensive as well. Her father, after much deliberation and protestations from her mother had agreed to let her come along as he claimed she had a vetted interest in this as well.

She hadn't told Severus what she was doing as she was sure that he would kick up a fuss. Ever the chivalrous British man he was and would remain, even though he had told her repeatedly that Italy was his first home.

_What he doesn't know…..at least up until a certain point won't hurt him, _Jasmina thought as she and her brother waited with Zafeer by the riverbank of the Zaeem palace.

Meanwhile Severus was trying to figure out what in the bloody hell he was supposed to bring for something like this, or even wear for that matter. He finally decided on one of the dark blue tunics that the Egyptians were so fond of. He was still getting used to having his arms bare and wearing the customary golden band on his upper arm. He tucked his wand away into one of the folds of the tunic. He was beginning to feel a bit shy about bringing it out as when he did, he always received odd looks. The twins knew a bit of magic and they had begun asking him why on earth he used a "pointy stick" when they could do it simply with their hands. He was beginning to wonder if he should hang the wand the simply ask Jasmina to teach him some techniques, as he was beginning to see the great value in wandless magics.

Finally, feeling as if he had nothing more to do in the house and that the Director might be waiting on him, Severus hurriedly shut the door of the dorm he shared with the twins and hurried off through the halls of the Institute.

It was still early morning and the long hallways and tall pillars were quiet as no one was yet awake. The sun was just beginning to turn the horizon pink and gold and the early morning birds over the bay were beginning to sing.

Normally Severus loved this time of day, and it appeared that Jasmina did too because before each school day was to begin, she would walk along the beach, simply to calm any nerves or quell any frustrations she had about the day. Sometimes, they would even walk together and talk in quiet tones about the day's expectations.

But Severus wasn't really noticing any of that now.

His stomach was in knots as he walked to the Outer Courtyard. He was eager to be sure, but a small part of him felt he was getting in over his head and needed to be insanely cautious.

When he passed through the final archway and reached the Outer Courtyard where the palm trees with their fronds were swaying gently in the breeze, he was surprised to see that it was completely empty.

_Am I early?_ He wondered to himself.

However, the thought had no sooner registered in his brain when the air about fifteen feet in front of him rippled and emerging as if he had from an invisibility cloak, was the Director.

Severus blinked and sighed inwardly. He had to ask more questions about how the man did that.

"Ah Severus, there you are," Mubarak said. Severus started to reply but blinked when he saw that the man was dressed in curious apparel. It appeared to be armor. But it was of a kind that he had never seen before. It was a series of interconnecting gold plates and covered his entire front and back down to his knees which were also covered in what appeared to be a golden shin guard and tied sandals. Mubarak threw the last wrap pf his black cloak over it, effectively concealing the entire piece from view.

"I didn't realize that I needed to wear armor," Severus said when he caught Mubarak's quizzical look. The Director chuckled and without a word, waved his hand at Severus and immediately, the potions master felt a curious weight settle onto his shoulders. He pulled aside the loose cloth that was attached to his shoulder and saw that he was adorned in the same raiment as his mentor.

"This is merely a warded illusion Severus," Mubarak explained calmly when he saw the confused look on the face of the apprentice. "The metal plates are individual wards so in actuality they really weigh nothing, however the weighted charm is there to give the illusion that you are weighted down. If a fight breaks out, the weight charm will vanish."

"What an ingenious idea," Severus replied. "But you don't really think that a fight will break out do you?"

"I am open to the possibility of anything happening on this day Severus. Quickly now, we must first travel to the Zaeem home to meet Lord Zaeem."

_A very comforting sentiment. _

By this time, Severus knew the drill, he and Mubarak hurried to the apparition point where he was promptly thrown off the magical cliff into the deserts of Egypt and landed on his feet one mile out from the Zaeem home.

What did surprise him however was the fact that Adil was there to greet them and he was dressed in similar garb as himself and the Director.

"Are you accompanying us?" Severus asked as they rode in the back of the chariot to the palaces.

"Yes, my father has a vetted interest in the Children of Anubis which stems back to our founding. He agreed that I was to come."

Adil said the last part without looking at his friend and for some reason, which made Severus a little curious. Was there another reason for the Zaeem patriarch and son travelling with them save for the Horcrux hunt.

However, he received another greater surprise when they passed through the wards, gardens and Outer Courtyard of the Zaeem home and breached the river. Severus knew he would never get over how truly remarkable the place was. He hadn't even seen all of it yet, but he knew that he wanted to. The palm fronds along the river bank were swaying gently in the warm breeze and the air was still quite pleasant as the sun hadn't fully risen.

As they crossed the river, he became aware that there were two figures waiting for them on the other side. When he looked closer, he blinked in surprise when he beheld the tall figure of Zafeer Zaeem and next to him, Jasmina. She was dressed in dark pants that billowed slightly and a long dark shirt that was belted at the waist over which she wore an embroidered black and gold vest. There were sand colored shoes on her feet with tight black thread that crossed over the tops of her feet. Her long hair was tied back in a braid.

_What on earth is going on here?_

He turned and whispered to Adil who was standing next to him on the boat. "Do tell me that your sister is not coming with us?"

A muscle jerked in Adil's cheek which was all the answer that Severus needed and he felt himself pale. This couldn't be happening. Did Jasmina know what she was getting herself into? Did she have the faintest idea?

As soon as they landed and after greetings had been passed around, Severus gently drew Jasmina to one side. "Have you taken leave of your senses? Do you know what we may encounter on this trip today?"

Jasmina fixed him with a look while they stood on the staircase by the river, her father and Mubarak speaking quietly off to the side. "Do you? I grew up with stories of the Children of Anubis, I have far more of an idea of what to expect. Rest assured, I am in full possession of my mental faculties."

Severus sighed, knowing that she had a bit of a point and not liking it one bit, he knew she was very competent with wandless magic and that if anything, he was the odd man out. He blinked in surprise when he felt Jasmina take both his hands in hers.

"I will not take any unnecessary risks," she said. "But it is necessary that we go, our family has an interest in this as well."

She didn't deign further to explain and before Severus could ask, Zafeer spoke up. "Shall we be off then?"

He reached into the folds of his dark tunic and pulled out a large golden key. "Come…this is a portkey which will transport us to Giza."

"I thought we weren't able to apparate or portkey within the grounds?" Adil exclaimed.

"This is the only portkey capable of it, and it is so because it belonged to Isis," Zafeer said quietly. When Severus looked at the portkey further, he saw that it was not a key at all, rather the strange symbol he had seen the many statues of Isis carry. If it were wrought by the magic of a goddess, then surely it was powerful enough to transport them outside of the wards.

There was a collective gasp from both Jasmina and Adil and Severus himself was highly impressed.

"You are full of surprised my friend," Mubarak rumbled and Severus saw that though he wasn't smiling, his eyes twinkled.

"Indeed, it is my greatest ambition in life to keep my family and friends on their toes," Zafeer replied, and while he was smiling either, Severus could see that the two men knew each other well enough that they didn't need to.

"Come come everyone," Zafeer said, holding the ornament out. "We have not the entire day and with the sun is our loss of secrecy."

Without another word, everyone gathered around Zafeer and as one, seized hold of the portkey.

There was a blinding flash of light, and Severus felt as if he were tumbling through the air. The heat of the desert seared his skin and made him hiss in pain. All of a sudden, there came the sensation that he was flying through the air. And then the next thing he knew, he was sprawled on his back staring at the sky.

It was still a pale blue in the light of the rising sun and there were birds flying overhead. Adil's face suddenly appeared above him and it seemed he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Don't tell me you've never traveled by portkey before Severus?" he asked and Jasmina chuckled from somewhere nearby. Severus got to his feet, grumbling out curses as he did so.

It didn't surprise him that Zafeer and Mubarak didn't seem the least bit ruffled from the ordeal as they were already standing on their feet.

"Behold," Zafeer said quietly drawing all of their attention. "The oldest landmark in Egypt as well as the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The great Pyramid of Giza."

Severus turned to look and felt his eyes widen at the sight.

Standing about a kilometer away was one of the most magnificent sights he had ever seen next to the temple of Isis and the Zaeem palaces.

The pyramid of Giza stood at a height of 481 feet and had taken twenty years to construct. Its base was 756 feet around and was in the appearance on both sides to be an enormous staircase if the ridges in its sides were any indication.

The sun was just coming up above the dunes behind them and was lighting all three pyramids in its warm glow. In the light, everything appeared to be made of solid gold and the very pinnacle of the pyramid appeared aglow with flame. All in all, the sight it created was breathtaking.

"Come now," Mubarak said. "We must keep to our element of surprise until we reached the pyramid."

The next twenty minutes were seldom used for speaking as the small group of five hurried toward the pyramid. Every so often, Zafeer or Mubarak would turn and impart some wisdom to the younger members. As if, _for Re's_ _sake do not touch anything, _wasn't already common sense.

Before he could scarcely believe it himself, they had arrived at the base of the pyramid.

"I can sense the many runes surrounding this place," Zafeer said looking around slowly, a speculative look in his golden eyes. He held out a hand to the stone nearest to them and moved it slowly back and forth along it for a few seconds.

To the astonishment of Severus, the stone disappeared and a small doorway covered over with a series of interconnecting black lines appeared. The potions master blinked in surprise. He could tell that they were magic and ancient wards at that.

"How do we break in?" Adil whispered.

"Carefully and quietly my son," Zafeer replied. "These wards themselves are ancient and one wrong move could at best, alert the Children of Anubis to our position and at worst, could spell injury and death."

_How comforting._

"How do we know that they are even here?" Severus whispered as they edged themselves along the wall. "Aren't the children of Anubis nomadic?"

"Indeed," Mubarak whispered back, "but this is the one place they are drawn to. With any luck and the blessing of Re they will not be here, however, they have left their protections in place."

He was right.

Severus learned that Zafeer had a talent for seeing wards and sensing magic. It was like a vibration that almost made an auditory noise that he could heard if he listened closely enough. They had crept around the entire base of the pyramid before the vibrations that Zafeer heard began to become louder.

"Here," he whispered, pointing to a rock that was protruding slightly farther from the rest in the wall.

"How are we to get inside?" Severus whispered.

"Watch!" Jasmina commanded.

Zafeer began to murmur words in a language that was clear not Arabic which they had been conversing in. It was old, ancient, something that Jasmina would later impart to Severus as what was called, the language of the sun.

As soon as the strange chanting had reached its completion, there was a moment of silence, before the stone in question suddenly set ablaze with golden light. A searing heat filled the air, causing Severus, Jasmina and Adil to shield their eyes. What followed was a dull concussion and then the air filled the scent that the taste of iron would cause.

When the three looked again, there was a small hole in the base of the pyramid, leading down into darkness.

"Quickly now," Mubarak whispered and slipped in first, the rest followed with Zafeer bringing up the rear.

There was a short column of steps which they hurried down and when Severus's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he pulled his wand and was about to whisper _lumos, _when he felt an iron clad grip on his arm. He looked up into the hard eyes of Zafeer.

"Severus, to alert what may be lurking here to our location with light would be most unwise," he said and Severus gritted his teeth, cursing at how nearly stupid he had been.

Mubarak stepped forward and placed two fingers on the side of his temple. After a moment, Severus gave a sharp intake of breath because he found he could now see in the dark. Everything had manifested itself into objects and walls and floors.

They were inside of a small room. There were covered benches off to one side against the wall and a series of writing tablets on the floor along with a bowl of fruit. There was a curtained beaded doorway off to far side of the room and all the walls were of brick and the floor of stone with woven mats.

"The scribe's room," Adil whispered. "This must be where they write the results of their tests."

"Indeed," Mubarak whispered. "But a better question would be where we might find the Horcruxes."

He had no sooner asked the question when the door they had entered from to the outside slammed shut with a dull thud, effectively sealing the room in darkness

Adil and Jasmina started for it, when their father stopped them. "Cease!" he hissed, "We will find another way."

He walked ahead of them and started for the curtained doorway. "Come, we have a long journey ahead of us, for the Horcruxes will not be sealed so near to the sun."

Ω

Zafeer was right.

They walked in a downwards fashion for about twenty minutes and the farther they went into the earth, the hotter it became. As soon as they had passed through the curtained room, they found themselves in an enormous chamber with stairs that led downward into complete blackness.

Severus was very glad for the charm Mubarak had cast upon his eyes for without it, he would have most assuredly fallen and broken his neck. It wasn't as if his eyes had been brightened, rather it was like he could see each object in front of him as he turned to look at it.

Zafeer and Mubarak were strangely quiet as she walked down the steps.

"Tread carefully," Mubarak whispered, his voice travelling up the passage toward them, "We know not where our enemies lie."

When nearly an hour had passed of them simply walking down the many flights of stairs, they finally reached the bottom. At least what appeared to be the bottom, for they could not walk downwards anymore.

There were two passageways, one on the right and one on the left.

"Which is the way father?" Jasmina whispered. Mubarak and Zafeer shared a glance. The former then stepped forward and raised an arm to the first dark stone archway. As he waved it slowly in the air, there was a tinkling sound as if the breaking of glass.

They all realized a second too late what it meant.

"Get down!" Mubarak roared and the words had no sooner left his mouth when the walls around them exploded into smoke. Then suddenly there were two deafening flashes of light.

"Father!" Jasmina screamed at the same time a shout issued from Mubarak.

Severus whipped around just in time to see something flying at his chest. When it hit him, he was blasted back into the wall behind him. Right before he blacked out, his last sight was Jasmina whirling around, her fists engulfed in spheres of light, her dark hair flying, and his last thought, was of Henry and Ria.

Ω

**Don't you just love cliff-hangers? Don't worry guys, I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long this time. Also I had a question that you can reply to when you review. Out of the characters that I have created in this Egyptian magical society, which one do you guys like the best? I'll see you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter: 12

Severus blinked.

He had had an odd dream of chanting voices, green burning fires and spirit like faces that came at him out of an intense darkness.

When he was finally able to open his eyes, he was surprised to see none of those things, but rather a living burning fire. It was the color of a normal fire but in it, he could see, almost a heart of darkness.

There were so many different colors as he tried to steady his gaze that an explosion of pain went off in his head and he groaned slightly.

The next realization he had as his vision slowly began to come back, was the fact that he couldn't really move. And that was somewhat alarming.

Finally, when the colors before his eyes stopped dancing and he was able to see with clarity, he glanced around and was able to see that he was in a massive tomb carved completely out of rock. There were massive stone pillars to the right and left of him completely devoid of hieroglyphs so they must have been exceedingly old. There was an enormous fire place in front of him that must have been at least fifty feet high, also graven from rock. He didn't even want to guess how high the ceiling was because when he tried to stretch up and look, a searing pain in his neck forced him back down.

He turned his head to the right and saw that there was an enormous sarcophagus behind him and behind even that was what appeared to be a stone altar, large enough to lie someone down to offer a human sacrifice if the hieroglyphs graven into its side were any indication

A very comforting though

_Where am I?_

And then he remembered that he was in Giza, with Jasmina, Adil, Mubarak and Zafeer. And that was when he began to panic.

_Where is everyone? _He thought. _Am I alone?_

All of a sudden, a groan next to him made him jerk to the right, hissing in pain. To his great relief he saw that there was a tall pillar next to him that was obviously man made and smaller than the others. And tied to the base of it with a thick rope, slowly coming around was a dazed Adil.

Severus's relief was so intense that it almost felt physically draining and for a moment he sagged with relief.

The younger Zaeem blinked and was able to focus a few seconds later and Severus heard him curse in Arabic. He turned and caught sight of Severus and a look of relief came over him at the sight of his friend.

"Severus, thank god, are you're alight? What on earth is going on?"

The potions master shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I remember is reaching the bottom of that staircase in the pyramid, and then there was an explosion."

All of a sudden, he stiffened up like a board. "Where's Jasmina, and your father and Mubarak?"

Adil paled. "I don't know," he whispered.

Just then, a soft moan drew their attention to the left. Both Adil and Severus whirled in that direction and nearly shouted out in relief when they saw Jasmina arrayed in a similar position. She was also tied to a pillar on their left side by a thick abrasive rope and was slowly coming around herself.

"Jasmina!" Severus whispered when he was sure that she could hear him. "Are you alright?'

She blinked and looked around before seeing him and her brother and relaxing somewhat.

"I…I think so. Where are father and the Director?"

Adil's face was pinched with anxiety.

"I don't know."

"We need to find some way to get out of here," Severus said pulling at his bonds. In the past few months, he had begun learning wandless magic, but he had still decided to bring along his wand just in case.

Of course as he pushed around in his pockets, he realized it wasn't there. They had thought of everything it seemed.

"Where are we?" Jasmina asked looking around.

"I have a guess, but if I'm right then we are in more trouble than we realize," Adil said quietly.

_How could we possibly be in any more trouble than we are now? _Severus fumed.

"I think we are in the tomb where the knife was first discovered," Adil explained. "If you look around the room carefully, you will see the ancient properties of it, and the fact that there is a living fire here. It's obviously been tended to recently, so this chamber is in active use."

Jasmina went pale. "But that would be mean that-"

"That they plan on using one or all of us for experimentation? Yes, yes it would."

Severus gulped. This was a nightmare. How on earth had they wandered into this?

"We need to get out of here," he repeated and began tugging at his bonds.

"Severus, we have grown up on stories of the Children of Anubis," Jasmina whispered. "You can bet that these ropes are warded against any kind of magical severing. If we were to break the bonds, someone would know right away and they would set upon us like bees to honey."

Severus began digging around in his other pocket for the asset he had hesitated to put into his pocket before the start of the journey, but was now immensely glad he had remembered to bring.

When his fingers closed around it, he blinked in astonishment, sure that they would have taken it out, but grinned and pulled a tiny pocket knife out of the folds of his robes and held it up so his friends could see.

"Well what if we broke them by Muggle means?"

"Where on earth did you get that?" Adil demanded.

Severus grinned at him. "My cousin insisted that I bring something Muggle with me when I told him about this adventure we were going on, because it would be something that no one would expect. He said that should the worst happen, I needed to have some means to defend myself if all magical assets failed."

"Well I'm very glad he did," Jasmina put in. "Hurry, let's get untied, we need to find father and the Director."

Unfortunately, Severus had no sooner succeeded in breaking through one of the ropes that bound him, when there was the sound of an enormous door being opened. He threw the pocket knife back into his pocket back down again, cursing his back luck and the timing but glad that he had a means of protecting himself should the situation demand it.

All three of their heads turned as far as they could behind them to see to the back of the tomb, where indeed, a door had opened and a small trio of men in tall long robes with the hoods pulled over their faces strode into the room.

They seemed to walk with a pace that was completely uninhibited, as if they had all the time in the world. Which they probably did, seeing as how they had all three sorcerers at their mercy.

Finally when they walked around to the front, Severus sucked some air in through his teeth at the sight of the one in the lead. He was by far the most bizarre and unnerving.

Despite the heat that the fire was generating and the fact that there wasn't any type of ventilation in the chamber, he was dressed in black from head to toe, complete with a turban and everything.

Also, and this was the fact that really made Severus want to cringe, was that despite the fact that they were in the heart of the Egyptian desert, and underground no less, the man's face was as pale as a ghost, as if his skin had never seen the light of the noonday sun. Add to that was a pair of blue eyes so milky and cloudy that Severus wondered for a moment if the man was blind. That notion was refuted a few seconds later when he focused on them a little too intently. And finally, as if that wasn't enough to make Severus feel nervous, there were several deep scars in the man's face, as if someone had taken the fangs of a snake and slashed them across his cheeks causing deep grooves, and then leaving them to heal in whatever manner he was struck in, so as to leave behind a product of a nature so frightening and alarming that it would make one cringe to look upon it.

At least that was what Severus was feeling right now.

He had barely looked at the others who had lined up in single file behind the man, with their hands folded in front of them as if they were waiting for orders.

But after a few seconds, he began to understand why. It was because there was this smoky type of aura surrounding them which gave off a type of illusion which made them hard to look at. Creating something that was ten times as powerful as a notice me not spell and also made it physically uncomfortable to look at was impressive. It was as if he were trying to look at them through a cloud of smoke which of course was difficult to do as it distorted their features and made his eyes water. Yes very impressive indeed.

And also quite scary.

The man in front surveyed them for a few seconds, before a tiny smile twisted his face. It seemed to create a spider web effect in his face as every line and groove was interconnected so one would have to go through a sort of maze just to see it all.

"Welcome," he said in Arabic and at his voice, the potions master wanted to cringe. It reminded him of the hissing quality that a snake has but at the same time, it never seemed to rise above a whisper.

None of them said anything.

"We do not often have guests to visit us this far in the desert," he went on as if the silence had gone unnoticed. "So it is quite nice to see different faces now and again." He glanced back at the group behind him. "Is that not right brothers?"

Again there was no sound from the others.

"What do you plan on doing with us?" Severus asked, plucking up his courage.

"And where is our father?" Adil seconded.

The man turned away to the fire as if he hadn't heard the questions. "The manner of yourselves I am not interested in Severus Andronicus. But there is something that you do possess that is quite…..fascinating."

He said all this in a whisper, knowing that they would hear him anyway, and they did as all three stiffened up considerably. They knew what he was talking about.

The man turned back. "As to the matter of your father and Director Mubarak, Adil Zaeem, that is a far less interesting question as they will be joining us shortly."

_What on earth does that mean?_ Severus wondered.

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

A rumbling noise came from deep within the man's throat and the potions master realized with a start that he was chuckling. Instead of answering right away, he reached into the folds of his tunic and pulled out a familiar object.

Severus's wand.

"The downfall of the rest of the magical world is that they place all their trust in a piece of wood that only works when it is within their hands. If it is taken away, it ceases to be useful and can actually work against them. Yet no one recognizes this."

He rolled the wand back and forth between his fingers, and then to Severus's disbelieving eyes, snapped it in two.

The potions master cringed at the sight. He could do magic without it as he had been learning wandlessly, but it was still somewhat sporadic and he wasn't in full control of the bursts.

"Come now," the man said in a somewhat patronizing tone. "I'm doing you a favor. It is pathetic that the rest of the world relies on a stick that can be broken as simply as that when there is a power in our cores that cannot be controlled by something that hangs off of a tree."

As indignant and enraged as Severus was that his consistent means of protection and defense was gone, he couldn't help but agree slightly with what the man was saying. Since coming to Egypt and learning that everyone there practiced wandless magic, he was beginning to see how behind the rest of the world was.

Although maybe that wasn't a bad thing for if Riddle had learned wandless magic when he was still alive, their problem would have been even bigger.

"My Lord Xenom," a booming voice said as it walked into the room, and the trio were presented with a barrel chested man with flame red hear and biceps as thick as Severus's thigh. He stopped in front of the man called Xenom and gave a short bow. "We are ready."

"Excellent," Xenom said and turned back to the prisoners. "As I have said before, there is a reason we do not entertain guests very often. In fact there can only be one of two reasons that one would venture here to Giza."

He paused and began to slowly pace the stone floor in front of them. "And the first reason is that person wishes to have the ritual of Horcruxes performed on him. But because the two of you are Zaeems," he paused and gestured to Adil and Jasmina. "We can negate the first option."

He resumed pacing. "And the second would be informational. A desire to learn how it is we do what we do. Am I not right?"

This question was directed at the group behind him, which let off a soft murmur, almost like a hiss.

Severus decided in this point, that there wasn't much else that could go wrong, and so he decided to speak up as now seemed to be his only time to do so.

"Not exactly," he said and Adil sent him a look that said, _what are you doing?!_

"We came here looking for information about someone who's had this procedure done a number of years ago. His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Up to this point, Xenom had had his back mostly to them and they hadn't really had the opportunity to see his face, though not that they would want to.

But now he turned to them with a smile on his twisted face and an eyebrow raised.

"The self-styled Lord Voldemort of England?" he whispered in his hissing tonal quality. "What could you possibly want to know about him?"

Adil and Jasmina seemed to understand where their friend was going with this because they decided to join the conversation.

"He had created quite a stir in England a number of years ago, and I had the…..unique pleasure of enlisting in his service. He came to trust me and confided in me the secret of his abnormally long existence. And he told me that if he were to ever pass, to retrieve the Horcrux he had left behind in Egypt and to see to it that it was taken care of."

Severus was calling upon all of his Slytherin qualities with this little speech. He had just taken a big gamble because he was calling the Children of Anubis out with the fact that he knew they had kept one of Riddle's Horcruxes for themselves.

For a moment, Xenom was silent. And then he began to chuckle.

"Very shrewd master Andronicus, but you must know that no harm would have been made to befall the Horcrux anyway as there are very few things that can destroy one."

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Adil lean forward ever so slightly.

"And I don't suppose you would tell me what those things are?" Severus ventured and Xenom's scarred face almost seemed to split in two as he smiled.

"I would have thought that your master would be the one to impart such information to you, if you were his confidante as you say."

Severus mentally grimaced.

Xenom's attention meanwhile had turned to Jasmina. And instead of his gaze turning appreciative like most men did when they looked upon her, an eyebrow rose and his eyes became almost fascinated.

"And Jasmina Zaeem. The first female Zaeem born in centuries. What a pleasure to meet you at last."

Severus shot a look at Adil but the other Zaeem merely shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what Xenom was talking about.

"I wish I could say the same," Jasmina replied quietly, sounding more annoyed than intimidated although Severus detected a slight tremor in her voice. "Now are you going to tell us what this is all about or can we be on our way?"

Xenom threw back his head and laughed and at the sound all the rest of the group in the back did so as well.

"You cannot possibly remain ignorant to your purpose for being here," he continued. "Has your father never told you of the curse that lies upon you?"

Jasmina went pale and Adil hissed while Severus was frozen in shock.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered, her voice as quiet and cold as snow. Xenom smiled with just as much ice.

"I see he has decided to leave you in ignorance, then. Very well, allow me to shed some light on the situation."

He got to his feet and walked over to the fireplace. There was a golden bowl of black powder sitting by the hearth and he stooped down, seized a handful of it and after cupping his hands to his face, he spoke in a strange language before hurling the powder into the flame.

The fire sputtered and almost went out, but suddenly an image appeared. It was a picture of the sands of Egypt, but there were no pyramids behind it. There were only three figure standing on the golden sands. And Jasmina recognized them right away as the forms of Thoth, Horus and Isis, and they were all engaged in conversation.

The skin of Thoth was blue and he was wearing the mask of a bird of prey with an odd crown upon his head. And all of them were dressed in the traditional garb for Egyptian royals.

_"__The results will be unpredictable," Thoth said. "It may bring everlasting pain."_

_ "__More pain will occur if Seth is not stopped," Horus said firmly. "From now on there will a cost to everything that we do."_

_ "__Very well," Thoth said gravelly._

_The god of wisdom bent low to the sands and scooped up a handful of the golden powder. He brought it close to his face and blew on it so particles of dust were cast gently into the air. As the three of them watched, the sand particles hung suspended for a moment before weaving themselves together to form the long and majestic golden feathers of a bird. And just when it became fully formed, Thoth reached out and plucked it from the air. He turned back to the other two and they could now see that he was holding in his hands a set of golden wings that spanned fifty feet. In the center of them and holding them together was a golden sun disk. _

_ "__And now for the magic to bring them to life," He said somberly and Isis nodded slowly. There was a knife at her side and as the other two watched, she unsheathed it, and slowly pressed it to her palm before making a fist. There was a sharp slicing sound and then golden blood dripped down from between the goddess's fingers._

_She reached out and held it over the wings so that the gold liquid would drip on to them. As soon as the first drops made contact, the wings seemed to glow as brightly as the sun and a deep thrum came from them as if they were taking on a life of their own._

_Thoth held them out to Horus who put them on before bowing to both the wisdom god and his mother and taking off into the sky._

_ "__You know what this means do you not?" Thoth asked Isis as they stood standing, watching the half god disappear into the horizon._

_ "__Indeed," Isis said calmly. "In truth I have always known, and all of my daughters will be targets for the rest of their days because of the significance of their blood. In it is resurrection and life, but it will spell doom for them if they fall into the wrong hands. It will remain dormant until they reach their majority and then great power will be there's."_

_She paused here and her expression became sad. "But it will not be without a cost. There will come a time when one will come that will extract this power from their blood and they will rise or fall by their hands."_

_ "__Do you plan to combat this curse?" Thoth asked._

_ "__I do, however Seth knows, he heard it foretold by you, which compelled him to abduct my daughter Nefertiti, to claim her blood for his own. The only way for this curse to be broken, is that he must be stopped."_

_ "__And if you are successful in defeating him, what then? Will this curse be at an end?"_

_ "__Only if his essence is truly destroyed and cast out from our presence. Seth has born a vendetta against my family ever since I chose his brother instead of him. He hated how Osiris ruled Egypt and the success and wealth that he had as well as the loyalty and love of the people. He has revealed with startling clarity that blood is something that he values above all else and he developed a fascination with my children once I married Jafar. Because they are the first demigods this world has seen, their magic is stronger than their fathers and they will possess strange gifts. He stole Nefertiti in the hopes of gaining her elemental powers as they are an ability that none can comprehend. As is the natural ability of a female to bring life into the world, so they shall. He will attempt to take this power for his own. But neither can live while the other survives."_

And then the image in the flames shattered into a thousand fragments causing the three bound sorcerers to flinch back in surprise.

Severus felt short of breath. Just what had he seen? And did that mean that Jasmina's blood had the power to bring things to life? Hers and all those before her?

The person in question's pallor had turned a horrible ashy grey color.

"Do you see the significance?" Xenom asked. "After Thoth imparted the wings to Horus and Isis brought them to life, she lived in fear the rest of her days that her daughters would fall into the wrong hands by the wrong people, who would use their blood for…specific purposes."

The way he hissed out the words made Severus think there was nothing specific about such things.

"But none ever did," he went on. "Until now."

The horrible realization hit them all at the same time and the second it did so, one of the number emerged from behind Xenom, untied the ropes and hauled Jasmina to her feet.

"You cannot do this!" Severus yelled out, horrified and appalled that what he had learned was about to happen.

The three men in the chamber began to chant in a strange voice, a language that Severus had never heard of him and never wished to hear again.

"You cannot do this!" Adil bellowed.

Xenom turned to him, an angelic smile on his scarred face. "We cannot? But we must, if we do not, then how else will our lord return?" He turned to the other two. "Bind her to the altar, there must be no more delays."

"No!" Jasmina yelled out. "No!"

Anyone could see that she was trying to call upon her magic, but for some reason, it wasn't working and no one had any idea why.

"What are you doing?" Adil shouted as his sister was struggling mightily. Severus remembered in that moment that he had partially untied himself earlier and moved to wrest the knife from his pocket when suddenly there was a tremendous crash from the doors behind them. He whirled around and would have collapsed in relief if the moment hadn't been so crucial, for there were Zafeer and Mubarak. There was the dust of rubble and debris littering their clothes and there were numerous cuts and bruises on their faces and arms, but other than that, they looked absolutely livid.

Zafeer had a large bandage wrapped around his hand, belaying the fact that he had been wounded and Severus wondered absently what had happened.

Xenom barked out a few words in that strange tongue of his and suddenly a small door in the side of the chamber opened and the room was filled with men in black cloaks who made for the two men with all the speed they had.

When they were about five feet away, Zafeer yelled out a word in Arabic that Severus had never heard before and Mubarak threw something that hit the ground and the entire chamber rocked sending everyone standing off their feet.

"You three!" Xenom barked, pointing to three of the group behind him that remained. "Continue with the ritual, it must not be interrupted. The rest of you, deal with them!" he pointed to the four of them.

Severus decided he wasn't going to wait for any of the three bruisers that this Xenom fellow had sent to tie Jasmina up on this altar to follow through on their order, and he tore through his bonds with an unnatural speed, jumped to his feet, plunged his hand into his pocket and yanked out the pocket knife he had brought with him before hurling it at the closest thug.

To his astonishment, his aim was true and the knife sunk with a wet thump into the back of the neck of the nearest one and he sunk without as much as a cry to the ground.

There wasn't time for him to dwell on his surprise however because the instant the body dropped, two more men set upon him.

Severus knew he was vastly outnumbered and because everyone in Egypt knew wandless magic, there wasn't much he could do to stop them magically.

So he stopped thinking and let his instinct take over.

One of the men opened his mouth to give voice to a spell in Arabic, but before he could finish the incantation, Severus bull rushed him and knocked him to the ground. He smacked his head hard against the stone and lapsed into immediate unconsciousness.

Severus jumped to his feet and nearly fell back down when one of the other assailants rushed him, and this time he had managed to shout out a spell.

The stones in the chamber began to rumble beneath Severus's feet and his attention was drawn to the mural on the opposite wall by the fire where hundreds of metal scarab beetles could be seen trembling slightly.

The man yelled out one more word and then the beetles seemed to take on a shine all their own before turning black and sparkly before they jumped up and scuttled down the wall into the room.

Severus would later learn that scarab beetles were good luck in Egypt and one could always be found in the chamber of a pharaoh who had passed into the afterlife.

But this was ridiculous.

Severus turned to see Zafeer and Mubarak battling the other sorcerers of the Children of Anubis in the chamber. Adil had somehow managed to get himself free and had joined the fight.

Jasmina was fighting with the two sorcerers who had somehow managed to force her up onto the altar.

The beetles were creating odd clicking noises as they moved about the chamber and Severus knew he had only seconds before they were overcome with ancient insects.

He dove for the altar and snatched Adil by the back of the collar as he went just as one of the sorcerers shot a curse at him that sailed right past his cheek.

"Severus what are you-"

Severus didn't answer until they were up on the platform of stone. "We need to get out of here!"

He would later grimace at how redundant that statement was.

There wasn't time to say more at the fighting was all around them. The room was becoming filled with sorcerers in black cloaks and Severus knew within a few seconds, the five of them would be overcome.

He saw Mubarak and Zafeer fighting madly and while the manner of men they were against was daunting, the ground beneath their feet was becoming cracked and hot as steam rose from it with the intensity of the spells they were casting.

Severus dove for one of the three men on top of the altar with them. There wasn't much room for the five of them as there was only space for one person lying down. Severus managed to catch the man he had dived at off balance and knocked him off the platform where he hit the ground hard before he was swarmed by the beetles.

"You have no hope of winning," the other man warned as he backed up slightly "He will rise again."

It was obvious he was new at this and was a novitiate because he looked somewhat nervous and Severus decided he was going to use that to his advantage.

"Spare me the supervillain speech, I don't have time for it," he sneered and turned to Adil and Jasmina who looked a little worse for wear with all the fighting they had done but nonetheless thirsty for more.

"Shall we deal with this?"

By this time, the chamber was filled with the shouts of men and bursts of light as spells collided in midair.

Their opponent put up an impressive fight, but it wasn't until he appeared to be nearing the end of his strength that something happened that Severus did not intend or expect.

Faster than he could follow, Severus saw the man yank a strange looking knife from one of the folds of his robe and cast a curse to distract the three of them as a burst of light appeared before their eyes, temporarily blinding them.

Jasmina suddenly gave a hiss of pain and Severus realized in horror what had happened.

He had managed to cut her and used the light spell to distract them so he could do it.

A drop of scarlet blood fell almost in slow motion as the four of them watched, to the floor of the stone altar and splashed against the rock.

The moment it did so, there was a deep rumbling sound almost as if a gong far away had been hit and a rush of wind filled the chamber, so strong that it knocked all those still alive, off their feet and into walls.

In the next instant, a dark wraith like figure came sweeping out of the fireplace, screaming in a high pitched voice towards them.

Jasmina had gotten to her feet first and was staring at it in horror. Upon seeing the movement, the wraith dove toward her and seized her by the throat attempting to choke her.

Everyone else appeared frozen in horror, and then all of a sudden a deep strong voice from nearby yelled out a word in Arabic and the wraith turned toward it with a shriek.

Zafeer had managed to get to his feet and had a peculiar canopic jar in his hand. The wraith gave a high pitched shriek but appeared unable to resist the words he was saying as it began to be pulled toward the jar in his hands, until it was sucked inside and he slammed the lid shut.

The beetles were still a problem however and Severus knew that if it reached them, they were all dead.

A spell came to mind, but he would have to perform it wandlessly for it to work and he didn't know if he could do it. After a seconds hesitation however, he decided that he had no choice.

It was a spell he had seen first cast on his first day in Egypt, a spell that he had never seen before and only recently learned the incantation to.

And so he opened his mouth and yelled it at the top of his lungs.

It was like the Fiendfyre spell and unlike it as this was an ancient burning, acidic fire and at his word, a red burning flame tinged with blue and yellow burst to life and leapt from the fireplace to the walls around the room, burning the kamikaze scarab beetles to ash the second it came into contact with them.

Mubarak looked up and realized what he was doing before he gave Severus a nod. He and Zafeer dove for the door of the room as that was the only place that hadn't been touched by fire.

"Severus, we need to go!" Adil yelled, seizing hold of his friend's arm.

"What of the spell?" he shouted back.

"Leave it!" Jasmina yelled. "We do not dwell in this place, they will attend to it themselves!"

And so, Severus allowed himself to be pulled from the room, leaving the fire to rage out of control behind them.

Ω

Needless to say, they were all exhausted by the time they got outside, Zafeer and Mubarak slightly less so. They were covered in dust and ash. There was a cut on Jasmina's hand from the sorcerer's knife which she had been gripping together so no more blood would fall onto the ground.

Severus bent over at the knees, panting and trying to catch his breath as they had just run up about twelve flights of stairs. He hadn't thought he could run that fast.

_I need to get in shape after this, _he thought between deep breaths.

"Is everyone alright?" Mubarak asked.

"All is well," Adil panted as he got slowly to his feet from where he had been kneeling on the sand.

Severus turned to Jasmina who had regained her breath faster than the rest of them and turned to look back over the sand towards Giza where smoke was rising from the door they had exited from.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he came up beside her.

She glanced down at the cut in her hand and Severus heard her murmur a quick spell to heal it. She closed her hand over it into a fist and didn't answer him before turning back to her father who was in turn looking at her.

"Did you know?" she asked quietly and instantly Mubarak and Adil ceased their quiet conversation and turned to look at them.

"I suspected," Zafeer said equally as quietly.

"And you chose not to tell me?" she whispered.

"I do not wish to intrude on a family discussion," Mubarak interrupted. "But I do believe we should take our leave from this place."

He pointed to the pyramid where the smoke could be seen, and a hooded figure could also be seen crawling out the hatch.

"Indeed, come let us go," Zafeer said and tucking the canopic jar under one arm and pulled the key from his pocket, holding him out so the rest of them could take hold.

Everyone seized the small instrument and Severus felt the stomach dropping feeling as if he were falling off a deep cliff faster than the speed of light.

Within seconds however, they were back on the grounds of the Zaeem palace, on the steps by the river.

There was a moment of silence where Zafeer looked around at them all, including Severus who was somewhat surprised.

"Come," he said. "We should talk."

Mubarak said nothing but Severus could see from the somber look on his face that he knew what Zafeer was about to tell them.

Zafeer led them back through the entry palace to the terrace overlooking the river where Severus had had dinner sometime a little earlier.

He waved his hand and some comfortable looking chairs appeared and a table between them where he gently set the canopic jar down and sat down in the chair in front of it.

When everyone was seated, before his father could say anything, Adil spoke up.

"Father, before you begin this retelling, may I first ask…..what happened when we reached the bottom of the staircase? There was an explosion and the walls seemed to fly apart. I heard the director yell and Jasmina screaming and when I woke again, the three of us," he gestured to his sister and Severus, "were tied to the three pillars in that tomb, and you were nowhere to be found. Where were you?"

It was Mubarak surprisingly who answered.

"It seemed to be their ambition to divide us. I myself had a suspicion that our presence was noticed when we entered Giza but I realized too late that there was a trap on the bottom of the staircase."

"Do not take the blame alone for that my friend," Zafeer said quietly. "I should have noticed as well, yet I allowed myself to be distracted."

Mubarak nodded his thanks at the words and continued. "We were not unconscious for long and when I awoke, Zafeer and I were in this chamber completely made of ivory white stone. We came to realize within the first few moments that it was called pearl agate. Looking back in the history manuscripts, you will see that it is a stone favored by Seth as he himself created it and the purpose of it is to contain the magic of those it encases. It effectively drains the magic from their blood and core until their cores have shrunk to the size of a Muggle and efficiently sponges of us our ability to fight."

At his son's horrified look, Zafeer took up the retelling. "Navid and I realized that the only way to escape from that place was to break the stone. As we have lived for so long, our magic is quite extensive and would take a while to drain, but time was a luxury we could not afford and we did not know where you were, so it was of the utmost importance that we break the stones and then find you.

"It was far more difficult than we had expected however because this stone was created by a god and it took a special type of magic to break it."

"So what did you use to break it?" Severus asked leaning forward curiously.

Zafeer gave him a long look before answering. "In order to create anything magical in the ancient world, all sorcerers, the gods included, had to use something already magical. And since we have established that magic comes not only from the core but the lifeblood of a person, he used his blood to fashion the stones."

"And so it would take the blood of another deity to break them," Mubarak concluded. "I possess not the blood of a deity, but Zafeer does, though it is not as potent. Therefore, much blood had to have been spilt in order to free us."

Severus looked sharply at the Zaeem patriarch and saw with concern that in the sunlight of the afternoon, he was looking a little pale and unsteady.

He was about to speak up and ask if he was alright when a voice from the opposite end of the terrace called out: "Zafeer, Adil Jasmina, you have returned!"

Severus turned and saw a beautiful woman who looked much like Jasmina standing at the opposite end of the terrace, relief palpable on her face.

This must have been her mother, he realized.

The woman ran forward and into her husband's waiting arms and the two just held each other for a moment. Jasmina and Adil got up to greet their mother as well and she embraced them no less enthusiastically.

Severus looked down at his hands that were now twisted together, a little embarrassed to be have been privy to such a private moment, and suddenly feeling a little sad. He wished his own mother was still around to embrace him like that.

Hatshepsut glanced down at the canopic jar and immediately her face went pale. She sank down next to it and glanced up at her husband. "What is this Zafeer?"

"All will be explained dear wife," he said solemnly and sat back down, bidding the rest of them to do the same.

"Once we had broken the stone binding us, the task came to find you and attempt to retrieve the Horcrux before making our escape," Mubarak continued. Hatshepsut had already been informed before the journey what information they were after and what they were trying to bring back so all of it wasn't complete news to her. She had come back from the Japanese institute because she couldn't stand to be so far away while her husband and children were on a dangerous adventure.

"It took some time, as it seemed many of the chambers in that place are magically warded and trapped but many contained astonishing treasures that we had not the time examine," Mubarak went on. "Until at last, we came to the room where you were held."

"Director…..Lord Zaeem?" Severus began tentatively. "Who was that man? The one who bound us with the scars and pale skin and blue eyes. He said his name was Xenom."

At the name, Hatshepsut shot a glance at her husband, her own face going completely bloodless.

"An evil man Severus," Zafeer said soberly. "He is a man that time does not know, for he has lived uncounted years through dark and evil magics. Magics I have never heard before and magics that I dare not speak of lest others hear them. Members of the Zaeem family typically live a few centuries as we are descended from gods. But before Seth was cast into the void, he needed a follower. Someone so loyal who would never think to betray him that he would cut out his own tongue first."

Severus was suddenly reminded of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"And he chose Xenom?" Adil asked in a hushed voice.

"He did."

"Hold on a minute," Severus said in disbelief. "You mean to tell me, that that man we saw in Giza is over two thousand years old?!"

"As I said, Seth gave him rare and evil magics and performed a blood ceremony on him that should the worst happen, his purpose would carry on. He mixed Xenom's blood with his own and caused him to drink it. Now the blood of a god is potent. The reason that the elder Zaeems live so many years is because we have the blood of goddess in our veins. As the years go by however, we live less and less long as the offspring we produce have slightly less of the magic of the goddess in their blood. It is the course of nature and we will not begin to die in a century like the Muggles for many thousands of years, but it is a natural thing.

"However, because Xenom took the direct blood of a god into his own bloodstream, he took on the immortality of Seth, which means that he will live forever, or until his master returns and decides that he has no more use for him, or that he has failed him."

"Is that the reason that he wanted my blood?"

Everyone turned to Jasmina and Hatshepsut had a hand over her mouth in horror.

Severus couldn't blame her, he had been appalled when he had heard what it was that Xenom wanted to do with Jasmina's blood.

"So it is true?" Hatshepsut whispered staring at her husband. "There is a curse upon her blood?"

"I was never sure," Zafeer said getting to his feet and walking to the edge of the terrace so he could stare out over the river. "But they have revealed it to me. Seth bound Nefertiti's blood to him, so she would be the one to raise him if his followers ever captured her and ascertained a way to open the void from which he was cast. And she would be the catalyst that would raise him from oblivion."

Jasmina shot to her feet. "What was the point of letting me live my life as if nothing was wrong if this ancient curse is hanging over my head? Why would you keep something so significant from me? Why would you not tell me that my blood specifically has the ability to raise Seth?!"

"Because nothing ever came of it," Hatshepsut said, her eyes pleading with her daughter to understand. "We had no reason to believe that Seth would ever return until last week. We never believed that this would affect you."

She went over, knelt down and took her daughter's hands in her own. Jasmina left them in her mother's grasp, but she didn't look at her.

Severus opened his mouth a few times, but then closed it. He wanted to speak, but his politeness didn't want him to intrude on the family moment.

Unfortunately Mubarak must have been the indecision on his face because he spoke aloud. "You appear pensive Severus, what is on your mind?"

Severus sucked on his teeth for a moment before deciding to just speak what he was thinking.

"When the three of us were fighting the other sorcerers atop the stone altar, one of them managed to cut Jasmina's hand and a drop of her blood fell to the surface of it. After that, it was as if the entire chamber vibrated and a rush of air went through, and then this wraith like figure swept out of the fire and tried to choke Jasmina before Lord Zaeem called upon a spell and trapped in this canopic jar." He gestured to the very object sitting in front of them. Hatshepsut had turned to the container, a look of trepidation on her face.

"What I am asking," Severus said glancing around at the small group, "Is, is this a Horcrux?"

There was a long silence that followed this question, but it was all the affirmation that Severus needed.

"So what do we do with it?" Adil asked, eyes fixed on the canopic jar.

"First," Mubarak broke in. "We need to ascertain if this is in fact the Horcrux of the self-styled Lord Voldemort, or if this belonged to some other poor soul. Either way we still gain information and are able to exterminate it."

"Very well," Zafeer said. "But until we ascertain what will effectively extinguish this soul fragment, this must be locked away."

"Use caution my friend," Mubarak warned. "Soul fragments are evil entities, they will seek access to your mind and whisper temptations to you, figments of the imagination that will seek to stop you from destroying it. Stop up your ears and do not listen

Zafeer's face was solemn. "Indeed. Very well then, we shall perform the ceremony tonight, in the presence of all gathered." Mubarak nodded and then Zafeer turned to his son's friend.

"Severus, will you stay as well?"

The young potions master blinked in surprise. "Of…..of course. The twins are with their grandmother and uncle in Italy until tomorrow. It should be sufficient."

"Excellent," Hatshepsut broke in. "Then perhaps that two of you will simply stay the night as a matter of convenience." These words she spoke both to Severus and Mubarak. "The both of you look exhausted and it is not a good idea to apparate when you are fatigued."

She had an odd look on her face when she looked at Severus and he had a feeling that a line of questioning was going to be coming in the next few hours and he swallowed hard.

Mubarak nodded his head and accepted the invitation graciously, and after taking a second, Severus did the same.

"I am very glad this seems to be so simple for the rest of you," Jasmina snapped suddenly. "Yet all of us were privy to these events, and not all of us were informed of this news that there is a curse upon me and was upon all of my ancestors. There is no excuse for why this was kept from me now that this prophecy could very well come true and this is not something that can be resolved as easily as an invitation to spend the night!"

She shot from her seat and stormed from the terrace back into the palace.

There was a moment of silence in which Hatshepsut sat down heavily in her chair and buried her face in her hands. Zafeer's expression was unreadable as he stared out at the river, but Severus could tell that not all was well.

After another moment of uncomfortable silence, Severus made a decision and got to his feet.

"I'll go see if she's alright," he said when Adil gave him a questioning look. "I have a feeling I might know where she is."

Ω

It turned out that Severus was right.

When she had shown him around the palace a few weeks earlier, he had seen the look in her eyes when she had shown him the palace dedicated to Isis in the middle of the river. There was a particular shine there. The small lines around her eyes that indicated stress had smoothed out and she had even closed her eyes at one time.

It was obvious that that had been a place of rest for her.

So Severus gambled that that was where she would be.

And he was right.

After taking one of the smaller boats out to the small island, he saw her familiar form sitting on the steps of the temple, elbows resting on her knees, chin resting atop her folded hands.

Her eyes were closed and he knew she was thinking.

He didn't say anything, he just walked calmly up the temple steps and sat down carefully beside her.

About five minutes went by of complete silence where the only sound was the rush of the river as it went past and the call of the birds in the nearby palm trees as well as the far off screech of the monkeys in the oasis beyond.

"Why would they keep something so significant from me?" she finally asked in a broken whisper.

Severus took a deep breath and decided that he would tread carefully. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But what I do know is that they have your best interests in mind. All parents who love their children do that. And I know that because that is what my mother did for me."

Jasmina raised her face from her hands and looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Severus sighed internally and realized that this was a part of his past that he had never told her and it was going to be a little bit painful.

"I had a horribly abusive father Jasmina," he said. "And my mother was very glad when I was asked to go to boarding school in Scotland, so I would only be home two months of the year and never have to see him. He was not a fan of anything magical and snapped her wand when he found out about her abilities."

Jasmina had a horrified look on her face, but Severus knew that he had to continue.

"He abused both her and me and he was a drunk who gambled away all the rent money. My mother asked my aunt, her sister who lived in Italy if she would adopt me so if anything happened to her because of Tobias, I would have a place to go and that I would be well looked after.

"In the end, she died the year I graduated from school and Tobias disappeared. I don't know where he went and I never tried to find him."

He looked up at her and saw that her golden eyes were full of pain.

"I didn't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me, because those wounds have healed over since I went to live with my aunt and cousin a few years ago. I told you this so you could remember that they're your parents and yes they will make mistakes, but at the end of the day they still love you and have your best interests at heart. My father didn't, but my mother never did and she did it until the day she died. Don't forget that, no matter what they do, they still love you and their number one desire will always be to protect you. I know this because I'm a father and this is the exact way I feel about the twins."

A soft smile had come over Jasmina's face. "How could I forget?" she said gently. "You did become a father at a young age which is why you are so intuitive to them."

"Exactly," Severus continued. "I learned from the moment that I held Henry and Ria in my arms that I would always have their best interests at heart, and it wasn't something that I had to do because I was their parent, it was something that I wanted to do because I love them."

"Severus is this your kindest way of telling me that I'm overreacting?" Jasmina asked quietly and he chuckled.

"Of course not, but what I am telling you is that perhaps your anger is somewhat misplaced. A centuries old curse has just been revealed and you're feeling overwhelmed."

"That's a bit of an understatement," the Zaeem sister said, returning her face to her hands. He cursed the blood of every female in the Zaeem line and bound our blood to his. It will resurrect him if he should find a way to rise again. And it appears as if his followers are actively taking steps to bring that about. What if they should succeed?"

"They won't," Severus said soothingly. "You told me so yourself that all the prophecies your grandfather has made in the past have been averted."

"There has never been one of this magnitude before Severus," Jasmina countered. "Suppose there is nothing we can do, and Seth does return, it would mean the end of Egypt and therefore, the world as well."

"These are all future shadows," Sev said, somewhat unruffled by what she had said, at least he thought he was. "We don't know what's going to happen years down the road from now. Your grandfather sees possibilities. All we can do is prepare ourselves and wait."

Jasmina stared out over the river for a long moment and then closed her eyes, letting the wind blow her long hair off her shoulders.

"How did you get so wise Severus?" she asked finally turning to him and smiling. "You speak like the Egyptians now. Something we are old friends with is time…time began here," she said a nostalgic smile gracing her face. "Time is as old as the sands themselves and it will continue to move the sands long after we're gone."

She smiled somewhat at Severus's confused expression. "It was something my great great grandfather always used to say when I was young enough to sit on his knee. Time is our friend and it will continue to be a friend to our descendants long after we are gone."

_That sounds almost like something that old coot Dumbledore would say, _Severus thought absently to himself.

"But what if time becomes the enemy?" Jasmina whispered softly. "What if it is not a luxury anymore…but a curse?"

"You're forgetting the words you attached to the beginning of that statement," Severus said gently. What if what? You're asking a question that no one knows the answer to yet, and that's something that you can't do, or you will drive yourself crazy."

Jasmina sighed. "I think being a father has made a scholar of you Sev," she said laughing softly.

At the familiar moniker, the potions master stiffened for a moment as that was the first nickname that Lily had given him when they were children. She hadn't been able to pronounce Severus when she was nine and so had begun calling him Sev. He shook himself from his thoughts as this was definitely not the time to be thinking about Lily, she was dead, buried and gone and he had someone else who cared for him sitting right beside him that needed his help.

"No," Severus said putting an arm around her and drawing her close. "I've just had to learn a lot of patience."

She rest her head against his shoulder and the two of them looked out across the river for a moment in silence.

"There is three thousand years of history here," Severus said after some time had passed. "A rich history, and one that isn't going to fade simply because one man predicts a possibility that a long exiled god may return."

Jasmina looked up at him, her gaze narrowing in speculation. "How are you so sure of this?"

Severus internally sighed and decided that now might be the time to tell her everything about his past.

"Because I have a lot of experience with prophecies Mina, and I firmly believe that we make our own destiny."

"What kind of experience?" she asked.

This time Severus sighed out loud as he prepared to reveal all. "Before myself and the twins went to live in Italy with my cousin and aunt, I lived in England and went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was placed in Slytherin house, the home of the cunning and the ambitious. We were distrusted by the rest of the school as a dark wizard, one of the darkest in Europe's history had come from that house. And because of my affiliations, Lily, the twins' mother, cut ties with me for a time. We eventually reconciled and that was when the twins were conceived. But after that, she married my rival for her affections and did not find out she was pregnant until after she was married. It was soon after that, that I went to Italy for two years to get over the heart break."

Jasmina was a scarily good listener and she reminded him of his aunt in that regard because she was absolutely silent as he spoke.

When I returned, I ran into her one time on the street, where she told me she had had twins. Soon after I went to see one of my old professors, one of the few who had ever been kind to me and she told me that my school headmaster had been in the presence of a Seer who had predicted that the twins would be the ones to defeat Voldemort. Unfortunately, one of his supporters heard it and told Voldemort who began to target the twins and Lily. They went into hiding, but someone betrayed them and he was able to ascertain where they were. He killed Lily and was about to do the same with the twins when something stopped him. I don't know what it was as I got there seconds later, following the patronus that Lily had sent me, but part of me thinks that Lily's sacrifice had something to do with it."

He paused and looked at her here. "The twins have been the subject of a prophecy all their lives and I have not told them, not only because they are four and a half years old, but because I believe we make our own destiny, no matter who it is who predicts the telling of one possibility."

"You truly believe that?" Jasmina asked in a hushed tone. He nodded solemnly but was not prepared for what she did next.

She leaned over and kissed him.

It wasn't a long kiss by any means, but as soon as her lips touched his, Severus felt the first few sparks of passion and knew this was a woman that he wanted to be with.

"What was that for?" he asked when she had pulled back, sounding a little dazed.

"For giving me courage, and for reminding me what this land is all about. It was forged by people with dreams and ambitions, desires and goals and carved into a three thousand year old legacy of magic and mysticism."

She got to her feet and smiled at him before offering him her hand. "And I will be damned if we allow that legacy to go under simply because of a possibility that the future holds."

Severus grinned at her and took her hand, getting to his feet.

"Come, let us go back to the house and dispose of this Horcrux, I have a feeling this is not going to be the last soul fragment we will need to get rid of before this is over."

Ω

Dinner was a quiet affair on the terrace and the canopic jar never moved from the table where it had been place.

Mubarak stayed as well and spoke quietly with Severus on what this new development might entail.

"Do you suppose it could be one of his soul fragments?" Severus asked over the top of his goblet of wine.

"It is a definite possibility," Mubarak replied. "Yet the manner of its appearing is something that should be taken into consideration as well. Did it try to choke Jasmina simply because she was the first one to move or because it had an ulterior motive?"

"Horcruxes are pure evil," Severus said. "Would they not simply try to choke life from one regardless of who it is?"

"They would indeed, but it still leaves the question of whose soul this Horcrux is a part of."

Severus considered something for a moment, and then suddenly his blood ran cold with the next thought.

"Excuse me," he said and the small group turned to look at him.

"What is it Master Andronicus?" Zafeer asked.

"Is it a possibility that every member of the Children of Anubis have had at least a partial Horcrux ritual performed on them? Maybe one or two Horcruxes were extracted and perhaps that is how they have remained alive for so long. And is it possible that the Horcrux that attacked us was one of Xenom's?"

A long silence followed his question in which Mubarak, Hatshepsut and Zafeer exchanged deep glances.

"It is a possibility," Hatshepsut said carefully. "And one that must be considered. Yet we will not know until it is opened."

"Well what are we waiting for then?"

Everyone turned to Adil who had set down his utensils. "I am ready to learn the end result of this mystery.

"You are young and eager my apprentice," Mubarak rumbled. "But this is not something to be taken lightly. It will take a considerable amount of power to wrest from this piece of soul the information we need."

"We are not going to get any information at all if we remain here talking," Adil insisted. "I say that we perform the ceremony now."

"Wait, what ceremony?" Severus asked.

Hatshepsut answered this time. "It is the ultimate desire of a Horcrux to hurl ones greatest secrets and fears back in their faces Severus," she said. "But its second most paramount desire is to flee to a safer venue. And because there are more of us here, it may become confused as to who to torture first, and it may try to flee. The ceremony we are about to perform will prevent it from doing either."

"It will cancel the Horcruxes ability to leave this place. In a sense, it is a binding ritual," Mubarak finished.

Zafeer turned to his wife. "My dear, if you would please go to the temple of Isis on the roof of the palace and retrieve the markers and paint, I would very much appreciate it."

She nodded and hurried off.

Zafeer turned to the small table laden with food that they had been reclining next to and waved his hand, vanished it in one instant.

"I will return to the Institute to gather what we need," Mubarak said solemnly and Adil and Jasmina left to see him back to the apparition point.

Leaving Severus alone with Zafeer.

The Zaeem patriarch folded his hands and walked to the edge of the terrace so he could see over the river which was turning pink in the light of the dying sun over the four pyramids that guarded the Zaeem estate.

There were birds singing in the palm trees and the roar of the water was somewhat louder here as they were so close to it.

Far to the right, Severus could see the small temple of Osiris where he had sat with Jasmina earlier glowing slightly in the dim light.

The air was fresh and clean off the river and once more Severus was reminded of how much he was coming to love this home.

"Severus," Zafeer called and the potions master jumped at the sound of him name, before swallowing hard and going to stand next to Jasmina's father.

He wasn't sure what he thought of the man other than he was a great and powerful musician as Zafeer was one of those men that played with their cards very close to their chest.

When he came to stand next to him, Severus noticed that his clothes had been cleaned, but there was a thick white bandage wrapped around his left hand where he had had to cut himself in order to break free.

"What think you of this prophecy Severus?" he asked when the young man had come level with him. "Do you think it has merit?"

Severus paused in his answer, selecting his words carefully. "May I speak freely sir?"

"Please."

"Then I do not. I hope that I do not assume when asking that the Director has told you of the prophecy concerning my children?"

Zafeer turned to look at him and Severus was surprised at the kind look in the older man's eyes.

"I would never presume to know something that it wasn't my place to know," he said in his low rumbling voice. "The Director only told me that you inquired to be on this journey as it is had something to do with the future of your children."

Severus felt an oddly placed relief at the words. Jasmina hadn't even known about the prophecy affecting the twins until that afternoon and while he would have been fine if Mubarak had told Zafeer as they were colleagues he was glad to see that he hadn't, and he felt his respect for both men go up.

"I do not believe in prophecies sir as my children were the subject of one back in England. That explains my interest in Voldemort as the prophecy predicted that they would be the ones to defeat him and neither could live while the other survived."

To his surprise, Zafeer began to chuckle. "Severus, who on earth made such a prophecy?"

Feeling a little confused, Severus replied with, "A novice by the name of Sybil Trelawney."

Zafeer turned to him and Severus saw with shock that the other man was smiling. "Severus prophecies are a very woolly subject. The future is like an eel, the moment you think you know what is going, circumstances change. Did those in England actually believe this?"

"I'm sorry to say that they did," Severus replied and Zafeer's eyebrows shot up. "And the biggest proponent of it was my former headmaster Albus Dumbledore."

"Ah yes, I have heard of the man. A powerful magician to be sure, but completely lacking in empathy and compassion. He views life as a game to be won and the people who occupy it as pawns to move around a chessboard."

"I would say that's a fairly accurate description," Severus replied grimly. "He favored every other house in Hogwarts but mine and drove some of the Slytherins into the arms of Voldemort with his constant subtle discrimination."

"Appalling that a man like that should be headmaster and work among children if he is going to constantly pit them against one another," Zafeer said under his breath. "I had been invited to observe one of the Wizengamot meetings a number of years ago where he is the chief Mugwump, and the man put on this entire grandfatherly persona in order to appeal to the sympathies of those he was trying to convince, but he was a wolf among the sheep. Only a keen eye would be able to see what his motives for doing what he does are. And the worst part of it is, that he seems to have no idea what it is that he is doing."

It was the longest conversation that Severus had ever had with the Zaeem patriarch and he found he was enjoying it. The man was highly intelligent and insanely powerful from the uncounted years he had seen, yet he seemed a dutiful father as well as a fierce defender and Severus liked that as he was a father as well.

"And he wanted to use your children as proverbial bait in order to force Riddle's hand?" Zafeer asked when Severus had explained Dumbledore's desires concerning the twins.

"I do not know what his true ambitions are, or were in that regard," Severus said, quickly amending himself. "But it did seem likely. And while it was one of Lily's last wishes for them to go to Hogwarts to have the same experiences that she had, I cannot in good conscience send them there while he is still headmaster."

"I should say not," Zafeer agreed. "It would be most unwise, if they are the subjects of this so called prophecy to allow them into his grasp even under an alias such as Andronicus, as there is always the possibility that he will learn who they are."

"So no," Severus said, answering the first question fully. "I do not believe in prophecies, as it is our actions that determine the future. The future is not something that is pre-ordained, at least not to us as a species. To the gods maybe, but there will always be a quality that man possesses that will not be able to be accounted for."

"And what is that Severus?"

"Our will," Severus said smiling up at the older man, who blinked as if he hadn't expected so simplistic an answer. And then Zafeer smiled as well.

"You are young Severus, but already you know much, perhaps that is why my daughter has taken a liking to you."

Severus felt his face burn and he was about to respond when all of a sudden, someone hurried back up the steps to the terrace and they turned to find a breathless Adil with his mother and sister.

"Come," he said. "We can begin the ritual now, the sun has nearly set."

Ω

Severus would tell the twins when they were older that he had never been to an interrogation so bizarre without the use of Veritaserum.

Hatshepsut handed her husband the markers, colorful drawing styluses that were thin and looked almost like reeds he had seen off the river.

With these, Zafeer proceeded to draw a large circle in the ground in black coloring and the had each member who had returned sit down several feet apart with their legs folded and the canopic jar in the middle of the terrace. There were four large bronze braziers burning in each corner of the marble platform and the sky was becoming a deep turquoise.

"The Director and I will begin the questioning process," Zafeer said solemnly, looking around at the members of his family and Severus. "Whatever you do, do not speak and above all else to not show emotion. Horcruxes feed off of it. They are living things that have been so twisted and warped that they will say anything to keep themselves alive."

"Should we lose control, there are measures we have brought to ensure that this soul fragment is never returned to the care of the Children Anubis's care," Mubarak finished and it was only then that Severus saw the jeweled ceremonial knives in their hands.

"Is everyone ready?" Hatshepsut asked.

"Let us begin," Zafeer rumbled.

In the next instant, he called out an unfamiliar word in Arabic, it sounded like the word Severus had heard Zafeer call out earlier to capture the Horcrux, but in reverse.

A few seconds of complete silence after that, the lid of the canopic jar popped off and a black wraithlike form sprang into the air, blanketing the air just above their heads in a dark mist.

Severus, though incredibly curious decided to focus on something other than what the mist was presenting immediately locked eyes with Jasmina

Upon seeing that it wasn't intimidating them, the Horcrux dove back to the ground and immediately took the form of the Zaeem home in ruins with a fire burning and people running from it screaming.

Adil hissed and then flinched very quietly, so quietly that Severus almost didn't catch it, but apparently the Horcrux did because the image became more vivid.

Zafeer snapped his hand and all of a sudden a bright light flashed from his hand and wrapped around the image, squeezing it to the point where the image became distorted and fuzzy.

It must have been somewhat painful because the mist began to quiver and all of a sudden, the image vanished.

"We seek information," Zafeer called out. "Firstly who do you belong to?"

The Horcrux didn't seem to answer because it turned toward Severus and all of a second, an image of Lily lying dead in the twins' nursery. Severus sucked air through his teeth, immediately forgetting that he wasn't supposed to show any emotion.

The Horcrux seemed to latch onto this reaction because in an instant, the image changed from Lily lying dead, to Jasmina.

This of course served to make him stiffen up in complete shock and horror.

Fortunately, Mubarak took that moment to cast the same spell on the Horcrux that Zafeer had moments earlier. It appeared to be something akin to electricity because the Horcrux twisted and contorted before letting out a peculiar hiss before it finally complied with what they wanted it to do.

An image appeared in the Horcrux of an old man in a dark robe and turban. Severus didn't know who the man was, but from the low growl that emanated from Mubarak's throat, he knew who it was.

"And is there a Horcrux in the possession of the Children of Anubis belonging to the man called Riddle?"

There was a moment where the Horcrux writhed about in the white light that was still twisted around it before it offered up an image of a golden canopic jar with black hinges and handles with a single hieroglyph engraved on the side.

"This isn't it," Jasmina whispered. "They still have it."

All of a sudden, the image in the mist changed and showed them a picture of Egypt burning, and the Chaos Snake writhing through the sky. The ground below it was overcome with fire and people were running this way and that screaming and being killed by the followers of Seth. In the midst of it all stood the red god himself with a feral snarl on his lips. He had a staff in his hand and braided sandals upon his feet. There was a dark fire burning from the pearl agate stone on the top of his staff which was they looked closer could be seen to be controlling Chaos."

"He has bound the creature to himself," Adil whispered in shock.

The image carried on for another few seconds before Zafeer appeared to have had enough. He got to his feet and waved his hand in the gesture as if he was flogging someone and a white braid appeared in his hand with a long rope attached to it that wrapped around the Horcrux, squeezing it tight while it writhed around and squirmed, trying to get free of his grasp.

Severus could tell right away that it was of magical design and winced slightly.

When it realized that it didn't seem to be working, it stilled.

And then from out of the darkness of its center…..the Horcrux spoke. It spoke with a voice of one coming out of the grave.

_"__Everything is known," _it said. _All of Egypt will burn, all prophecies will be brought to completion. _

Then it tuned towards Severus. _"The prophecy regarding your children is only a small piece of the puzzle that is still being fit together. They will die as will you and the legacy of the pharaohs will end. Your foolish Riddle is only a pawn in a much larger game."_

By this point however, both Mubarak and Zafeer had had enough. They both got to their feet and shouted out a word in unison and the Horcrux was forced, screaming back into the canopic jar and the lid was shut with a snap.

The six of them sat there in the dying light of the sun in complete silence before Severus opened his mouth.

"What did it mean?" he asked, his voice trembling. "What did it mean that the prophecy was only a small piece of the puzzle?"

The Director turned to him. "I am afraid Severus that it means we do not have all the information we need yet. But when we do…I fear we will be preparing for war."

Ω

**Holy Cheese Squares! Has it really been two and half months since I last updated?! That's a really long time! Geez guys, I'm so sorry I have taken so long to update this story. To make it up to you, this chapter was a little bit longer than usual and I hope you like it. Severus and Jasmina's relationship will be moving along a little more quickly in the few chapters and things are going to get even more twisted and interesting. This is a story that the Voldemort tale will have a small part in, but as the Horcrux said, it is only a small piece of the puzzle of what's to come so hold onto your seats. I will not take as long to update this next time, I promise. Don't forget to review and see you next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Severus was glad that the Zaeems had talked him into staying overnight. After the day's ordeal in Giza and an ancient prophecy about a vengeful god returning to destroy the world well…..those were the kind of things that would distract one enough to warrant a splinching when they tried to apparate home.

The room they had put him in was on the ground floor overlooking the river and only had three walls and the fourth side of the room, on the left side opened up onto a balcony which was set right on the river with four large stone pillars holding up part of the overhang. There was a large bed on the right hand side of the room with a tall burning fire place directly ahead of him as he entered and in the corner, right before one entered the balcony, there was a large stone bath in the floor that appeared magically operated. The stone floor was covered with a plush red and gold carpet and the bed was hung with silk golden draperies.

Hatshepsut and Jasmina wished Severus a good night before closing the door and leaving him alone.

As impressive as the room was however, Severus had too much on his mind to be really admiring it.

He had just made it out of a hostage situation with his girlfriend and her family, heard a prophecy about the world ending and interrogated a Horcrux.

It had been a long day.

He was just thankful that Henry and Ria had been out of the country when it happened. He had managed to keep his thoughts clear of thinking about them when he had been around the Horcrux, but it had been a lucky break.

He eyed the bath but then figured he had better fire call Italy first to check on the twins and update Tony and Emilia.

Snatching a handful of green floo powder from a bowl on the mantle he knelt down by the yellow flames and tossed it in, calling out: "The Andronicus Villa Sicily!"

There was a moment of flashing images and bright colors that almost made Severus dizzy to look at them.

In an instant, Tony's head appeared in the flames and his expression brightened immediately when he saw Severus.

"Sev, you're back! So how was it playing James Bond?"

Severus stifled the urge to roll his eyes. Even though he was a pureblood, Tony had had a weakness for Muggle Movies. Especially James Bond, the famed international spy who never lost his cool, pulled stunts that shouldn't be possible for a Muggle and was quite the ladies' man.

"Not as glamorous as you might think," he said. "Where are the twins?"

"They're in bed, do you want me to wake them?"  
"No that's alright, you're going to bring them back tomorrow, don't wake them, I'll see them then."

"You alright? You look…..tired, and little shaken."

Severus snorted. "Yeah well, this hasn't exactly been the ideal day in the neighborhood for me."

"You want to tell me about it?"

And so Severus did. He told his cousin everything from the Horcrux conversation with Mubarak, the Children of Anubis, to the prophecy of Seth, to the trip to Giza and finally ending with the hostage situation where they had had to fight their way out.

When he was done, Tony muttered a curse under his breath. "Damn Sev, that sounds like a whole heap of trouble. You're lucky you made it out of there by the skin of your teeth. Did that bastard really snap your wand?"

Severus nodded. "I guess in a way it's a good thing, everyone here knows how to do wandless magic, so I guess it's something I should learn so I can keep up. After all, that's something no one can take away from me. The twins are already learning it."

"And that Xenom character, he sounds like one nasty bastard. It sounds like you guys might cross paths again."

Severus fervently hoped they wouldn't, but the man was Seth's lieutenant and over two thousand years old. He was bound to turn up eventually.

"And they're really making Horcruxes?" Tony asked quietly when there was a moment of silence between the two cousins.

Severus nodded. "And according to Xenom, almost everyone in that…..cult, has had the ceremony performed on them."

"So this whole thing with Voldemort is only really a small piece of what's going on?" Tony asked, sounding a little overwhelmed and his cousin sympathized. "Damn, Egypt is where all the action is these days."

"Trust me Tony, you do not want to be here in the midst of all these prophecies and immortal men who have a thirst for soul splicing. Better that you and Aunt Emilia stay comfortable in Italy where it's safe instead of worrying about me and the twins, we'll be fine."

"You know mother's not going to buy that when she hears this."

"That's why you're not going to tell her."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. I don't want her to know about this. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Now if the time comes when it becomes a matter of life and death that she know…..then tell her. But not before. I don't want her worrying if she doesn't have to."

Antonius blew out a breath of air. "You realize you're asking me to lie to my mother right?"

"No, not lie, just don't volunteer any information if you don't have to. We got what we came for when we went to Giza. This whole thing is bigger than Riddle and Horcruxes Tony. This is about Gods and revenge and when the time comes, it won't be just Aunt Emilia who knows. Trust me, the entire magical world will."

Ω

After taking a hot bath, and putting on the robe they had left for him hanging on a hook by the bath, Severus strolled out onto the balcony where the moon and stars were like spotlights shining down on him. The night sky was a complete black velvet veil with no clouds obscuring its surface.

Off in the distance, he could hear the screeches of exotic birds in the oasis along with the noises of monkeys calling out goodnight to each other.

All was peaceful and quiet.

_I could get used to this, _he thought as he rested his arms against the marble railing of the balcony.

Ever since he had seen the Zaeem household around six weeks ago, he had felt a sense of security in that place, not only because Jasmina resided there, but because he was beginning to care for her family as well.

_Wouldn't it be something, if someday I could call this place home? _Severus thought absently. _But of course to do that, I'd have to marry Jasmina….._

Wait a minute.

Back the broomstick up.

Where had that thought come from?

They were just dating right now and seeing where their feelings headed. It had been a long time since Severus had been interested in a woman since Lily's death, but marriage was a bit of a stretch wasn't it?

He had only been seeing Jasmina for a month after all…..

_But you've thought about it before haven't you?_ A small voice in the back of his head asked quietly.

Truth was, yeah, in the dead of night when he was lying awake and couldn't sleep he had contemplated the idea of getting married again, but there had never been someone that he thought about, and now that there was…the whole idea was a little scary, somewhat unnerving and astonishingly exciting.

_Don't get ahead of yourself old boy, _he cautioned himself. _You've known her for three months and have been dating her for one, which is hardly the amount of time to base a lifelong commitment and love upon._

But he couldn't get the thought out of his head. Truth was, he hadn't had time to be lonely in the past four years because he had been working half the time and being a father for the other half, and he just didn't think about it.

He would be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind though.

And as he stood on the balcony of the Zaeem home in the light of the moon and stars, feeling the breeze off the river chasing away the heat of the desert, he almost felt like it was possible. The twins would love having Jasmina as a mother. They had no memory of Lily and while he felt it was important to know what she had sacrificed for them, she had also inadvertently kept them from him and Potter. While he had hated James with a passion, Lily had played the both of them and if she had told him early enough, perhaps she could have left James and she and Severus could have had a future together after that.

But strangely as he thought about that, he didn't feel the desire to go back and change events. If he hadn't he would never have gone to Egypt and met all the people that he did. He would never have gone to the Institute, met Mubarak, or the Zaeems, or did anything different with his life than love Lily Evans and the twins.

And while a few years ago that would have been enough for him, he realized it wasn't now. He wanted more out of life, to do great things, to be the best father and sorcerer he could. He had grown so much as person since he had left England for good those six and a half years ago. He was a father and a potions master and studying at the premier Institute in the world and he was dating one of the most beautiful women known to man.

Okay maybe that was a bit of a stretch.

But life was good, and now that rumbles of an enemy from the past, far worse than Riddle could ever be had come bubbling to the surface, he was a little worried that the life he had built for himself and the twins was about to go up in smoke.

And Severus would be damned before he would let that happen.

Merlin knew he didn't stand a chance against a god, but maybe there was a way to prevent that from happening by getting rid of the only ones capable of raising him.

The minute he thought that though, he knew it wasn't even a remote possibility. There was no way they would be able to successfully eliminate the Children of Anubis. They had been around for thousands of years, as long as the Zaeems had, if not a little bit longer and knew magics that would make his hair curl.

It would be a suicide mission.

But something had to be done to stop this so called prophecy from taking place.

It bothered Severus that he didn't seem to be able to come up with a conceivable plan. But as he thought about it, the odds that they were facing weren't conceivable in any sense of the word. These were powers beyond his comprehension and the worst part was, Severus had no idea how to combat them.

Absolutely none.

_I need to better learn wandless magic, _he thought absently. _As scary as Xenom was, the bastard had a point. No one should have to rely on a piece of wood to channel their magic because it becomes useless when it's taken from them. We're no more powerful than Muggles when we don't have it._

It was a scary thought of how vulnerable witches and wizards back in England really were when they didn't have their wands.

No self-respecting magic user should have to go through that.

Upon deciding that he would start as soon as possible, Severus decided it was high time to get some rest. Tony was coming by with the twins tomorrow and after being in a hostage situation for over six hours and having numerous curses flung at you, it did tend to wipe out one's energy.

_I am not going to think any more on prophecies, gods or marriage proposals tonight, _he thought determinedly. _I am going to sleep and when I wake up, I am going to get started on better learning wandless magic because if it wasn't for some Muggle fighting techniques I learned from Richard Evans I would have been a goner today. I am going to sleep and I am not going to think until the sun rises._

Unfortunately, his body and mind had other ideas.

Ω

The Ancient Egyptians had many different ideas when it came to the soul, the mind and the body.

The ancients had been particularly fascinated with the afterlife and they called the soul by two different names called the Ba and the Ka and they believed that everyone had a soul that survived after death. But before a person died, there were many different accounts of the Ba separating from a person's body while they lay sleeping in their beds and carrying on into a dream like state where they were shown various things before returning to the Ka, the essence still confined to their body.

That was what happened to Severus on that particular night.

_He opened his eyes and stepped out of bed, unsure of why he was awake, but when he looked back at the bed, he was astonished to see himself still sleeping._

_What the hell?_

_For a moment he panicked and then logic returned and told him he must be having a dream, some kind of out of body experience where he was going to learn something he wasn't aware of when he was awake._

This has got to be the oddest dream in the universe,_ he thought absently to himself as he stood by the bed, looking at himself still asleep._

_ "__I need to read up on dreams in Egyptian culture because I am sure there is some kind of deeper meaning to this that I am not understanding," he muttered._

_Deciding that there was no point in sitting by the bed waiting for himself to wake up, Severus decided to explore._

_Something that he noticed right away was the fact that everything seemed a little bit brighter and there were a lot less shadows._

_The moment he stepped off the bed, he noticed that he wasn't really walking, but rather floating a few inches above the ground and when he looked down at himself, he noticed his body had taken on a smoky tone, so he appeared like that of the ghosts at Hogwarts, but he knew for a fact that he wasn't dead._

_Turning toward the balcony, Severus moved slowly toward the bright moonlight beyond the room and out into the night._

_There seemed to be something drawing him away from the bed into the night air beyond and it was almost like he was powerless to resist it. _

_ "__If I am dreaming," he muttered to himself. "Why does it seem that I have no control over my own body?"_

_There was no one to answer him, and in the moment that he moved out onto the balcony and looked up at the sky, all other questions left his mouth and he felt his jaw slacken._

_Egyptian skies had been some of the most beautiful he had ever seen, but this dream sky was filled with thousands of points of light. So much so that Severus couldn't look at it for long for fear of being blinded by the brightness._

_But then as he looked up a third time, the moon, a perfect crescent seemed to change before his eyes and turned sideways to form a horizontal form so it almost looked like the sky had been given a bright smile._

_And then something odd began to happen. Out of the blackness above the now horizontal crescent moon, a bright star appeared, but it wasn't silver like the rest of them. This one was a burning gold and so large that all the other stars in the sky seemed to pale in comparison._

_As Severus watched, it came to rest in the space between the tips of the moon so it almost looked as if a crown had formed in the heavens._

_Instantly Severus knew it was some kind of symbol, but of what he had no idea._

_And before he could even begin to work out what it might be in his head, a dark flock of birds rose up from the desert and flew faster than birds should be able to fly towards the peculiar symbol._

_Severus watched in fascination as they flew right across the symbol that the heavens had formed and in that instant, all of the light in the sky was blotted out and Severus was left blind._

_When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a long stone corridor, much like the hallways of the Institute, but he knew he wasn't there._

_As he looked down the hall ahead of him, he saw that there was a throne sitting upon a tall stone dais about two hundred yards off directly in front of him. Hieroglyphs covered the walls on the pillars and on the floor, but certain ones stood out as they were highlighted in pale blue colors. To the rear of it was a tall stone statue of a god he had never seen before. The statue was easily as tall as the ones in the Institute and the monument was sitting down on a tall stone seat that Severus would have had to stand on his own head twenty times to reach. _

_Tentatively, Severus began to walk toward the dais as it was evident that he had been drawn to that hallway in that temple, wherever it was, by some unknown force. There was a magnetism about the whole place that caused the very air to vibrate around him, and the hairs on his arms all stood up._

_The sound of his footsteps seemed loud on the stones and the silence was so thick, he could have cut it with a knife._

_When he had finally reached the steps leading up the dais, a curious hum began to penetrate the silence and the whole chamber began to rumble silently._

_Cautiously and with growing unease, Severus slowly mounted the steps until he was standing before the throne itself._

_No one was there, but it didn't stop him from feeling that he was in a very serious place and should only touch what he was bidden to touch and then leave directly after._

_The throne was of the same pale blue that many of the hieroglyphs were colored in and seemed to give off a warmth all its own like a fire was sitting underneath it, constantly keeping it in a state of heat._

_As Severus came closer, the heat began to grow until it was almost unbearable and he could barely look at the throne for its brightness. But just when he decided to look away, there was a concussion that rocked the whole room and he almost lost his footing. _

_When he had regained his balance again, Severus glanced back at the throne and had to stifle a gasp of surprise when he saw that an object had appeared on top of it._

_It was a long staff made of burnished ebony stone and onyx. It was as tall as he was and appeared to be double edged. On the bottom end of it, there was what appeared to be a pitchfork with two razor sharp tines on either side, a perfect weapon for running someone through._

_On the top of the staff was an elongated flat blue stone arranged in a slanted pattern. Engraved in its face was the same symbol Severus had seen in the night sky and as he looked at it, he began to realize that the humming was coming from the staff itself._

_As if he was in a trance, Severus reached out a hand, suddenly intent on picked the staff up, despite the fact that it was twice his size and looked formidable._

_The second his fingers closed around the middle of the staff, there came a pain unlike any he had ever known before and he stumbled backward, stifling a yell of surprise and pain, letting go of the staff._

_When he looked at his hand, he was astonished to see amidst the red flesh and burned skin, that there was a marking inked into his palm._

_It was the same symbol he had seen in the sky and on the surface of the blue stone on the staff._

_The vibrations in the room began to get louder and louder and the staff on the dais grew brighter and brighter until it filled the entire room with its light and he closed his eyes, unable to withstand the brightness any longer._

Severus shot up from the bed, gasping like a fish out of water as he came out of the dream world and back into his own body. It was like someone had splashed water in his face and his entire body was cold from the shock.

When he had taken a few deep breaths and calmed his racing heart, he flew out of bed and snatched one of the scrolls of papyrus off the fire place mantle along with a quill and wrote down everything he had remembered.

It was still dark outside and the light of moon was still shining so on an impulse, he went back onto the balcony to see if it really had been a dream.

As he had expected, the moon was in its proper alignment with no bright stars near it in gold colors.

It was only when he gripped the marble railing tightly with both hands that a sudden pain caused him to look down at his right palm.

There, inked into his flesh like the Dark Mark he had seen so many of his friends bearing before they left school, was a symbol. The very one he had seen emblazoned into the sky in stars, and the one marking the staff in that chamber in his dream.

The symbol of a horizontal crescent moon with a circle resting just above…..just like a crown.

Ω

The following afternoon, Severus hurried across the bay bordering the Institute to reach the receiving fireplace where he was to meet Tony and pick up the twins. He had obtained a visitors pass for his cousin as he wanted to show Antonius about the Institute.

Because he was trying to distract himself from the dream he had had the night before and the meeting he was to have later that evening with Mubarak about the events of the day before, he was glad that there was a slight reprieve in the uncertain routine that life had fallen into.

Merlin when had things gotten so complicated?

When he had crossed the lake, courtesy of Ammon, Severus fairly leapt out of the boat and bounded up the stairs in long strides to reach the entry building. He was excited to see the twins, eager for some sort of normalcy to come back into his life where gods and prophecies and Horcruxes didn't exist.

When he reached the tall fireplace at the other end of corridor, he began to pace up and down on the spot, suddenly feeling very impatient.

When morning had come, he had eaten breakfast with Jasmina and Adil. Mubarak had returned to the Institute upon rising and Hatshepsut had gone back to Japan to see her eldest son. Severus had inquired as to where Zafeer was, but had found out he was somewhere in the palace doing some research.

Whatever the hell that meant.

As much as Severus had loved the Zaeem home, the silence was driving him batty. He needed to do something to get his mind off of the events of yesterday and the bizarre dream he had had the night before or he would explode.

The symbol burned into his hand had not faded with the darkness as morning came and he was bound to believe that something else was going on here. He hadn't been able to really grab hold of the staff in his dream, much as he felt compelled to and the result was the emblem in his skin.

What did it all mean?

He had more questions than answers and it was really bothering him that the future was so uncertain. A vengeful god was poised to make a return, Voldemort was only a pawn in a much larger game of some kind and as far as he knew, the prophecy regarding the twins was still up for grabs.

Merlin how he hated Sybil Trelawney!

"I hope she never has children of her own," he muttered under his breath as he paced back and forth before the fireplace. "She'd probably predict Grimm's in their future the second they were born."

The scroll he had used to copy down everything he remembered was now locked in a drawer in the house he and the twins were living in, but he had looked it over three times before going to class, and had barely thought of anything else all day.

It was obvious that the symbol meant something important as it had appeared to him three times and three was a lucky number in Egyptian mythology. It seemed like all odd numbers were.

But that still didn't give him any ideas about what the heck he was going to do about it. It was maddening!

_I feel like I'm running in circles, _he thought in exasperation. _I go to Giza to hopefully retrieve one of Riddle's Horcruxes and put an end to that monster before he raises enough power to return and instead I find out about an underground network of followers, all of whom have split their souls in service to a god who has a vendetta against the Zaeems and find out about an even bigger prophecy where the world is going to be destroyed!_

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost missed the sound of the floo being activated.

Almost.

There was a flash of green smoke, and three figures appeared in the fireplace. The two littler ones were carrying small cases and holding on the right and left hands of the taller figure who was standing in the middle.

A grin came over Severus's face as his son and daughter and cousin stepped out the fire place.

A moment later though it changed to a frown.

Henry and Ria looked as somber as he had ever seen them, whereas Tony's face bore a smile as usual.

The moment they saw their father though, the blank expressions melted into a smile and they ran over and were folded into his arms.

"Daddy, you came to get us!" Ria cried out, her voice a little muffled by the folds of his tunic that were bunched around her face.

Severus closed his eyes as he felt their small arms wrap around him. A state of unease had been surrounding his consciousness for the past two days that they weren't with him and now that they were back and he was able to see that they were alright, it dissipated and relief replaced it.

"Well don't you look like an Egyptian?" Antonius joked when he took in what his cousin was wearing.

Severus glanced down at his attire and grinned. Like the rest of the patrons of the Institute, he was attired in the traditional white robes fastened at the shoulder with a golden clasp and a bronze arm band on his left bicep.

He looked back at his cousin, grinned again and turned his attention back to his son and daughter.

"Were you good for your uncle and grandmother?" he asked when they had pulled back so he could look into their eyes.

"Yes Daddy," Henry said soberly while Ria just nodded.

Severus's frown deepened and he looked up at Tony whose smile had faded to a calculating expression. He mouthed, _I'll tell you later, _at Severus who gave him a quick nod in return.

However, their sober attitudes faded somewhat at the return to their home and as soon as Henry and Ria saw the tall hallways, stone pillars and floor and flashing hieroglyphs, they seemed to perk up, and hurried on ahead with their cases chattering animatedly to each about their friends and wanting to get back to school.

Severus hung back though, and raised an eyebrow at his cousin who gave a small sigh and got right into the story.

"Everything was fine until last night. They wanted to show us how much Arabic they had learned and everything about their teacher. The day after I collected them, we spent the day at the beach and they went to bed early. But last night before I went to turn in, I was walking past their rooms, which you know are side by side."

Severus nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"And all of a sudden, I heard someone cry out, so I stopped and when I realized what had happened, I pushed open the door and hurried in to check on Ria. She was sitting up in bed and there were tears on her cheeks. When I asked her what happened, she had just said she had had a bad dream. I asked her to describe it for me, and instead she got out of bed and drew me a picture. While she was drawing the picture, the door opened and Henry came in looking similarly shaken. He said he had had a bad dream too. By that time, Ria had finished her picture and when I looked it over, I was kind of surprised."

He reached into the pockets of his robe, pulled out a scrap of parchment and handed it to his cousin who paused before opening it.

When he saw what it was, he had to contain himself before hissing out from between his teeth.

It was a picture of the pyramids of Egypt, and they were burning with small little stick figures running around on the ground. In the sky above the pyramids, a large serpent was writhing through the air and there was a tall man on the ground directly below it with a staff in his hands and a tall crown on his head.

Ria had drawn everything in color and the man on the ground had skin of a bright red shade and the snake above his head was all different shades clashing with each other. The pyramids were a dull gold and burning with scarlet fire.

Over the top of the snake were the words, _neither can live while the other survives. _

It was a perfect picture of Chaos.

A perfect picture of the prophecy.

"She drew this?" Severus whispered, trying to contain his unease.

"Yes, and when she had shown it to me, Henry leaned over my shoulder and said. "That's what I dreamt too." Does it mean anything to you?"

A cold feeling came over Severus despite the heat of the desert and he remembered the words of Isis in the memory from the day before, the words of the prophecy in the letter Minerva had given him and the words Lily had written on her final note before she died.

That prophecy had been told to him three times over the course of the twins' life.

That was too much of a coincidence to be normal.

"Come," he said when he realized he had delayed in speaking for too long. "I'll give you a tour of the Institute, then we should probably talk."

Ω

Needless to say, Antonius was speechless when he stepped out into the light from the entry building. Severus almost laughed as he imagined that was what he must have looked like to Ammon Hassan when he and the twins had first arrived.

"Merlin's bloody underpants," Tony breathed when they had stepped out into the afternoon sun. "You live here?!"

"Amazing isn't it?" Severus said grinning. "There's no other place I would rather live then right here, besides Italy of course," he amended hurriedly when he saw Antonius raise an eyebrow.

"I don't blame you Sev, if I lived here, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else either."

Standing next to his cousin on the top of the stairs, Severus almost forgot about the prophecy as he looked out over his home and his place of work. The sun was shining in a cloudless azure sky, making the temple of Isis across the bay appear even more vivid and defined.

It stood about three hundred yards away, on its own small island of sorts. It was cut completely from rock and was hundreds of feet high. At the front of it were two massive stone rectangles that looked virtually indestructible. Between them and connected to both was a massive doorway similar to the one they had just exited. Enormous figures of pharaohs from the past were also carved out of stone and embedded in the rock of the two large stone rectangles. Around the outside of the temple there were green trees and lotus and papyrus plants in full bloom.

"Well come on then," Severus said after watching his cousin gape for a minute. "There's a whole lot more to see."

"Well I should say so," Antonius sputtered as he followed Severus down the stone steps to the waiting boat where Ammon stood abroad. "Like, am I going to meet this girlfriend of yours that I keep hearing about?"

Severus grinned but said nothing as he and the other Andronicus descended the steps. The twins were talking animatedly with Hassan who was answering their questions and stories with smiles and inquiries of his own.

After Severus had introduced his cousin to the gatekeeper, they all climbed abroad the boat and set sail across the bay.

Severus kept an eye on Tony out of the corner of his eye as they drew nearer to the temple. The stone statues of the pharaohs that were guarding the front entrance by the massive doorway which were hundreds of feet high seemed to loom down at them like ancient giants, casting enormous shadows.

The boat docked on the steps of the Institute and they all stepped out and Severus led the way up the steps to the doorway of the Institute where Antonius had another moment of slack jawed amazement as he looked around at the pillars that were hundreds of feet high, the many stone corridors branching off the main one and the tall statue of Isis in the middle of the hallway as they came in, a crown on her head and the symbol in her hands.

Tony looked like he was having trouble breathing. "I am so applying for fellowship here," he muttered under his breath, a sentiment which Severus picked up on and grinned.

He and the twins led Tony down the long stone corridor, into the Outer Courtyard. Classes weren't be held at the moment but there was a lot to look at and the listen to anyway. They passed into the next part of the temple, over the many bridges where the fish swam in pools beneath and finally made it to the rear of the Institute where they entered a small courtyard where all the houses or dorms of the apprentices were.

"Daddy, is Miss Mina here today?" Henry asked looking up at his father hopefully.

"She should be Henry. I saw her this morning. We'll go see her after I show Uncle Tony around, okay?"

"Okay Daddy."

The twins hurried to the door of their house and put their cases inside before hurrying upstairs to change out of their traveling clothes.

Severus shut the door behind them and directed Tony to the sitting room where he went to pour a glass of Egyptian wine for the both of them.

"So what do you think?" he asked as his cousin took a seat on one of the plush chairs by the window that overlooked the bay.

Antonius blew out a breath and grinned at his cousin. "I think I was absolutely balmy to not apply for fellowship here with you a few months ago. I have my gold cauldron too and working with Cambridge is small potatoes compared to this! Do you know how many potions masters would give their eye teeth for a chance to study here?"

"I'm beginning to understand just how much," Severus said grinning as he came out of the kitchen and offered his cousin a glass of wine.

In Egypt they didn't really serve the hard alcohols and firewhiskey was practically nonexistent there. They preferred to stick to the traditional beverages.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" the other Andronicus asked as he took a sip from his goblet.

"Do you remember what we were talking about last night?" Severus asked as he took a seat opposite his cousin. Antonius nodded.

"While we didn't capture one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, it didn't seem to matter as after what we found out, the return of the dark lord seems to be the least of our problems."

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you know of the ancient Egyptian gods Tony?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What do you know of the Egyptian gods and goddesses in the myths?" Severus repeated calmly. He wanted his cousins opinion on what was happening before he revealed the plans of the Children of Anubis.

"Well the legend was that they were the first magical beings to enter the world and give magic to the humans, the founders were nothing compared to the gods and many would agree that Egypt was the birthplace of magic. All the history books around the world give credit to this place as it is the most ancient and the most powerful. Why do you ask?"

Severus set his own goblet of wine down on the table and wrapped his hands around it, leaning forward slightly. "Because the gods are real Tony."

To his credit, all Antonius did upon hearing this news was spit the sip of wine he had taken back into his goblet before gaping up at his cousin as if he had announced that aliens were real.

"Come again?" he sputtered.

Severus took a deep breath and launched into the story of all that had gone on since he had first arrived in Egypt three months prior. He began with meeting Navid Mubarak and his considerable power and influence in both the ancient and modern magical worlds, meeting Jasmina and Adil for the first time. He spoke at length about the conversations he had had with Mubarak about Horcruxes and the prophecy predicting the twin's future, which Tony had never known about. Then he talked about the Zaeem palace and meeting Jasmina's family, all about their history and finally admitting his feelings to her and the two of them getting together.

Tony snickered a bit at that part.

Finally Severus told his cousin about Mubarak's Horcrux discovery and the Children of Anubis in detail, whereupon he mentioned the prophecy of Seth and the knife to splice souls and finally their trip to Giza where they were set upon by Xenom and his cronies.

This was where things got a bit complicated as he didn't want to tell Tony about the curse on Jasmina's blood because that wasn't his secret to share. Finally, he ended the story with them managing to capture a Horcrux and the bizarre interrogation from the night before. He refrained from mentioning his own dream because he wanted to speak to Mubarak first about it, to find out what it meant.

When he was finished, Severus leaned back in his chair and took a long sip of wine as he caught his breath.

There was a moment where Antonius just sat there blinking for a few seconds before he sat back down and blew out a breath of air.

"Holy Merlin Sev, you've been since you've gotten here haven't you? Going out with demi goddess, chasing down cultists and hearing end of world prophecies? Man I wish I had your life."

"Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be," Severus muttered under his breath. "And Jasmina is not a demigod, if anything, she's only one one thousandth goddess."

"It's still hot," Tony remarked drinking down the dregs of his wine glass and Severus laughed. "You think any woman of a different nationality is exotic and therefore a challenge."

"True, but can I help it if I'm such a ladies man?"

"You're impossible," Severus said smirking. There was a moment of silence before sobriety returned.

"And you think Seth is going to make a return?" Tony asked after a moment, serious once more.

"You know I don't believe in prophecies," his cousin said. "But I don't think this is something to be lightly dismissed as wool. This isn't some wannabe dark lord throwing his weight around. This is a god with a vendetta against Jasmina's family that's lasted for the past two thousand years ever since Isis' eldest son tossed him into the void. And the timing of everything is just very unsettling."

"So what do you think it means Sev?" Antonius said leaning on the table as he looked across it at his cousin.

Instead of looking him in the eye, the other Andronicus looked out the stone window at the bay sparkling in the sun.

"Honestly, I think we're dealing with powers far beyond my ability to comprehend. This land is filled with so much mysticism and power that I sometimes feel the magnetism in every grain of sand that I walk on. Egypt is so old but so dominant that I feel whatever happens here will affect the rest of the international magical community forever.

"So yes Tony, as much as I don't want to admit it, I think there is some truth to this prophecy. Seth may make a return and if he does…..well that's when all hell is going to break loose, if we don't stop him in time."

Ω

After that ominous piece of news, Severus began to feel a bit antsy and knew that he didn't want to stay in the house any longer and he suggested to the twins that they go and see Miss Mina, to which they readily agreed.

Tony tagged along because he was increasingly curious about this woman his cousin had been seeing for the past month.

Sev had been very hush hush about her, only saying that she was the twins' teacher at the primary school in the Institute, that she was beautiful, and now part goddess.

A combination to make a man weak at the knees the Italian was sure.

It turned out that it didn't take them too long to find her. Severus knew she wouldn't be teaching today, and they had made plans to meet later at the bay so she could see the twins again. Antonius was quite impressed by the security system the institute had and the wards around it were thousands of years old.

Severus made sure to give his cousin a tour thoroughly and then the four of them communed at the bay to wait for Jasmina to arrive.

As much as the sounds of laughter made him smile, his mind was far across the sands at Giza, deep within the bowels of pyramid, wondering what on earth the Children of Anubis were planning next. The picture that Ria had drawn was burning a hole in his pocket and he knew if he didn't have confirmation of what it meant, and soon, he was going to lose his damn mind.

The twins were ecstatic to be at the familiar bay again and play in the water with the fishes, and after a moment's hesitation, Tony decided to go and join them, see how much different the water was here than in Italy.

Severus meanwhile plunked himself down on the sand, glad he had decided to put on Muggle clothes of swimming trunks and flip flops, robes were not conducive for a day at the beach.

After making sure that the twins and their uncle were thus occupied, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the drawing, so as to study it more carefully. Ria had a good eye for detail and an excellent memory if this was what she had drawn simply from a dream.

In fact everything about it was like the prophecy that Jasmina had told him about, even though he hadn't seen it.

The snake, while somewhat crudely drawn, captured the images he had seen of Chaos on hieroglyphs.

And the image of Seth, while in crayon and colored pencils was no less ominous than if he had been standing a few feet away.

_What does all of this mean? _He thought for the millionth time. It seemed like having more questions than answers was rapidly becoming the norm.

This time, he didn't hear her creeping up on him.

Until he felt the gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What is that?" Jasmina asked softly.

Severus flinched and refolded the paper as fast as he could. "Nothing, it's nothing," he said getting to his feet and turning around quickly.

Jasmina raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. She was attired simply in a white sundress that was tied into bows at the shoulders and a golden armband around her right bicep. Severus noticed that the Institute clothes were a mix of both magical and Muggle. They couldn't wear the long robes like they did in Egypt as the heat made it impractical and Severus was quickly beginning to learn that the Egyptians, both ancient and modern were accustomed to showing more skin than the rest of the world.

He wasn't complaining however.

With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the drawing before handing it to her.

Jasmina gave him a careful look before unfolding the picture and looking down at it. She stiffened almost right away as she recognized what it was and looked back up at him sharply. "Where did you get this?" she whispered.

"It's complicated," Severus replied. "For the past two days, the twins have been in Italy visiting their uncle and grandmother and last night, Ria woke up crying from a bad dream, Tony asked her if she wanted to tell him about it, and instead of doing that, she got up and began to draw this picture of what she had seen. As she was drawing it, Henry came in looking similarly shaken and when Tony asked him what had happened, he said he had had a bad dream as well. And then he pointed to the picture Ria had drawn and said, "I dreamt that too."

In the light of the afternoon sun, Jasmina looked slightly pale and she gripped the drawing tighter.

"You never told them of the prophecy did you?"

"Of course not, I don't know how much of it they would have understood anyway and the last thing I want to do is burden my children with omens of an impending apocalypse!"

He grimaced when he realized that his voice had grown louder and lowered, clearing his throat.

"You need to speak to the Director about this," Jasmina said shaking the drawing slightly.

"Why though? In Muggle sciences shared dreams between twins are not entirely unheard of, couldn't it have been just a coincidence?"

Even as he said the words though, he knew it probably wasn't.

"No Severus, it can't be. If they had a shared dream about them running through a meadow full of sunshine and flowers that would be one thing. But they had a shared dream at the exact same time, about something you had never even told them about, and could describe it all in painstaking detail and they don't even know about Seth and Apophis."

"You think this is something magical? Like what, they're Seers now at four and a half years of age?"

"I don't know," Jasmina replied. "But I do know that what we need right now is answers, and I have a feeling this is only another piece of the puzzle that we have yet to solve. For three and a half thousand years, dreams have had some of the most important prophetic implications for the future of Egypt. They can foretell the future and make hidden things known. I know you're not a believer in prophecies especially considering that the twins are the subject of one back in England, but this bigger than we know. Promise me you'll speak with the director about this."

At the mention of dreams have prophetic qualities in the ancient magical world, Severus clenched his fist shut, the one that bore the strange marking that hadn't faded.

He needed to speak with Mubarak about that too.

"That's not everything," he began. "There's something I need to – "

"Miss Mina!" a high pitched voice called out and both of their heads shot up to the shoreline where the twins had caught sight of them and were splashing out the water. Tony, upon seeing that there was a woman with Sev, slowly came up too.

Henry and Ria had no qualms about holding back though as Jasmina barely had time to kneel down before they had hurled themselves into her arms.

"We missed you," Henry said shyly.

"We were in Italy visiting uncle Tony and our Nonna," Ria chimed in. Their previously somber moods had given way at this point.

"Did you?" Jasmina asked smiling gently at her favorite pupils, serious demeanor put aside for now. "And did you have a good time?"

The twins nodded vigorously in unison. "We went to the beach."

Jasmina glanced teasingly up at Severus and then looked back at the twins. "You did? Which beach did you like better?"

The twins looked a little put on the spot before Henry decided to speak up. "Well….Uncle Tony said the one in Italy is the best, but I kind of like this one."

"Me too," Ria chorused. "This one has pretty fish and that one doesn't."

In the meantime, Tony had come up to Sev and his eyes widened upon seeing Jasmina. He turned and gave his cousin a questioning look. "This is her?" he whispered.

Severus smirked and nodded.

"Atta boy!" Tony muttered under his breath and Severus stifled a snort. He wondered absently if his cousin would ever grow out of his weakness for pretty women.

When Jasmina straightened up, Severus cleared his throat to get her attention. "Mina, this is my cousin Tony."

The two shook hands and Jasmina gave him a bit of a knowing smile. "So this is the cousin that Severus is always talking about."

"All good things I hope," Tony asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh absolutely, he's told me of all the scrapes he was getting you out of."

"Sev?" Antonius said folding his arms across his chest. "Why have you been telling lies about me?"

"Please Tony, of all if your qualities your penchant for trouble is hardly an exaggeration."

"I resent that!"

"Daddy, can we go back in the water again?" Henry asked tugging on his father's clothes.

"Of course Henry," Severus said smiling down at him, "just don't go too far out."

"Come on little man, I'll go with you," Tony said sweeping the little boy off his feet, causing him to give a squeal of laughter. They ran down the shore and into the water.

"Hey wait for me!" Ria called out indignantly as she ran after them.

Jasmina unrolled the colourful mat she had brought with her and she and Severus sat down on the sand.

It surprised her for a second when he found her hand and threaded his fingers through hers, but after she got over her surprise, a thrill went through her and she smiled.

Severus had been the only man she had ever met to cause her skin to tingle and a jolt of electricity to go up her spine.

He was mature and handsome, compassionate and brilliant, incredible for someone who had grown up the way he had.

Severus had never told her too much about his childhood, but she knew he had grown up with an abusive father and a mother who never stood up to him after her parents had disinherited her for marrying a Muggle. And his mother had ensured that he spent every single summer in Italy after he was seven years of age. Both his father and mother had died when he was fourteen. After that he had spent the time he wasn't at school in Italy with his aunt and cousin during the holiday and the summertime after that. There was a reason Severus and Antonius were as close as brothers as they had grown up together and if it weren't for him and his mother Emilia, Severus might have been a completely different person. So he had automatically gained her respect for the way they had changed Severus.

And then there was Lily, the red head who had been the the twins' mother. Whenever Severus did speak about her, a sad and angry look filled his eyes and she understood why. It was because though she was the mother of his children, he was angry that she had chosen to keep them from him for nearly a year before she chose to tell him he was a father. That wasn't fair and it wasn't right. If he hadn't had Antonius and his aunt to help him, who knows what would have happened to him and the twins.

Jasmina felt a momentary flare of anger and she unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand. As far as she was concerned, the only good thing that Lily Evans ever did was give birth to Henry and Ria and then die so Severus could become the father and man he was meant to be.

She grimaced a moment later. She shouldn't have thought that, it wasn't good to speak or even think ill of the dead. But aside from the twins, no good had come from having

Lily Evans in Severus's life.

She was a little glad he had moved on now and that he was with her.

She didn't know it now, but because Severus never told the twins about their mother, they had grown up seeing Jasmina at their maternal figure, something that was surely a big honour, and one she hoped she would live up to.

"I need to go and see Mubarak soon," Severus muttered out of the side of his mouth and she blinked, tuning back into the conversation. "I didn't know you were going to see him today."

"Yes well...the twins aren't the only ones having dreams," he muttered and she bristled. "What are you talking about?"

Severus heaved a sigh. "I know the Muggles call it having an out of body experience, but last night I had a dream where I literally got up out of my body and left it lying in the bed."

"I beg your pardon?"

So he told her.

"It was as if I was awake, but there were two of me. One of them, my actually body was asleep and the other part of me, my mind was completely aware and they took on two different physical forms. I wasn't rooted to the ground anymore, it was kind of like I was floating along it like some kind of ghost or spirit. I went out onto the balcony and saw that the sky was full of stars. But before my dreaming eyes, the crescent moon that appeared turned and lay horizontally in the sky so it looked like the night had grown a smile. And then right in the space above it, this burning golden circular star appeared so the whole thing almost looked like a symbol."

To illustrate his point, his picked up a small stick that was lying in the sand and drew the symbols so she could see what it looked like.

"I've seen that before," Jasmina murmured. "I just can't remember where." She blinked and shook her head. "What else happened?"

"Just when I had focused on the symbol in the sky, a flock of black birds rose up from the desert and blacked out the sky causing this bright flash that made me have to close my eyes. And when I opened them again, I was in this long stone corridor, almost like the hallways of the Institute and far ahead of me, was a raised dais made of stone. I kind of felt this magnetic pull and so I walked toward it and mounted the steps to the throne. The moment I reached the top step there was this flash of light and this long staff appeared lying across the seat of the throne. It was made of an ebony stone that I had never seen before and there appeared a small instrument resembling a pitchfork attached to the end. On the top of it, there was a flat blue stone tilted in a slanting position, and in its face was carved the same symbol I had seen in the sky. I was suddenly possessed of a great desire to pick this instrument up, and so I did. The moment my fingers wrapped around it, there was a pain unlike anything I had every felt before and I stumbled backwards. Just then a light began to emit from the stone and filled the whole chamber with a luminosity so bright that I had to close my eyes. And when I opened them again, I was awake."

Jasmina had an odd look on her face when he finished the tale.

"I know it means something important, but I don't know what. And it's driving me up the wall' especially since I found out about the twins dreams not too long ago."

"Now I definitely think you need to see the director. He's not a Seer interpreter, but next to my grandfather Rahotep, he is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to dream interpretation."

"I'll be sure to do that," Severus agreed as they sat on the shore watching Antonius play with the twins in the water. "Now if we could just -"

"Hey! Are you two love birds going to sit on the shore all day and bake like clams or are you going to come into the water with the rest of us!"

Severus looked up to see Tony standing knee deep in the water, looking like a drowned rat. He had obviously forgotten to bring his swim wear but that didn't see, to bother him. His pant legs were rolled up to his knees and his brown shirt was sticking to him like a second skin. His dark curly hair was lying like a wet mop against his head and neck and his dark eyes were sparkling with excitement like a little boy.

Severus couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing, causing Jasmina to giggle too.

"Alright then Mina," Severus said getting to his feet and holding out a hand to her. "What do you say? Shall we go in?"

"Oh I don't think so," Jasmina replied tucking her legs under the hem of her dress.

"Why not?" Severus asked frowning.

Jasmina rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if she was feeling a chill. "Because I've never been a very good swimmer. I had a scare around the water when I was little. It took a few years before I would even put my feet in the water again."

"Well, if you're sure then," Severus said and started to walk down to the shore.

He had gone no more than five steps however when he was suddenly possessed of an idea, and whirled about, striding back to toward his girlfriend.

"Severus what are you doing?" Jasmina asked as he neared, a look of mock horror entering her eyes.

In answer to her question, he bent down swept her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a sack of feathers. "Helping you get over your fear," he said and strode back to the water.

Jasmina let out a shriek. "No, no please put me down! I'll go in, I promise!"

"Not a chance," Severus replied confidently. "I am going to teach you how to swim and you are going to get over this fear of yours."

And that was when he picked up speed, fairly running down the shoreline into the water. Jasmina squealed again, knowing it was now useless to resist. She knew she could have used her magic to get away, but part of her didn't want to. Tony was laughing uproariously and the twins were squealing with glee as they saw their normally serious father acting completely out of character.

They crashed into the waves, the water instantly drenching them, and she was surprised at how warm it was.

As soon as they were up to Severus's waist, he loosened his grip and let Jasmina float on the surface of the water. She was as stiff as a board for a moment before she forced herself to relax and just float.

"See? This isn't so bad," Severus said standing above her. The water only went up to his waist as he was so tall, but because of their mad dash into the waves, he was soaking wet. His curly dark hair was hanging with water droplets and there was a sparkle in his dark eyes that she had rarely seen before.

"I will get you back for this Severus Andronicus, I swear to Isis," she said regaining her balance in the water.

Before he could even blink, she had cupped a handful of water and splashed him right in the face with it.

"What the hell?" He sputtered, shaking the water out of his eyes. "What was that for?"

"For being such a...a man!" She burst out, unable to think of anything else.

"Oh is that what I am?" He said and she almost shivered at the ferocious gleam in his eyes. "Well how about you come here and I show you just how much of a man I can be?" With that he seized her around the waist and began to swim into deeper water.

"Severus what are you doing?" Jasmina shrieked.

"Daddy, Daddy, put Miss Mina down," Henry cried. By this time, he and Ria had swum over and he had latched on to his father's arm.

"Alright Henry, I guess I'll just have to amuse myself with your sister here," Severus laughed and let go of Jasmina before seizing hold of a squealing Ria and tossing her into the air.

"Thank you Henry," Jasmina said lifting the little boy out of the water and planting a kiss on his soft cheek.

"You're welcome," Henry said ducking his head shyly. Uncle

As Severus and Jasmina played with the twins, Antonius held back a bit. "Man, Sev you sure are lucky," he murmured under his breath. S_he's good for him, I like her a whole lot better than Lily. Jasmina makes him happy and brings out the best in Sev. Lily only brought him pain._

"Uncle Tony, come on and play!" Henry called out when he say his uncle standing there.

"Okay kid, I'm coming," he called back and put all thoughts to the side.

The five of them played and swam in the water until the sun began to set.

"I better get heading back to Italy now," Antonius said somewhat reluctantly and he was beginning to understand why his cousin loved this place so much, and now he was determined that he was going to go home and apply for fellowship there as well.

"Come on Uncle Tony," Ria said grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the water with Henry in tow. "You need to dry off first before you go back to Nonna's."

Jasmina moved to follow them but let out a small gasp when Severus seized her tight about the waist and held her prisoner against his wet chest. "What are you doing?"

"I said you were going to learn how to swim, and you haven't done any swimming since I threw you in here."

"What are you talking about? I've been swimming all afternoon!"

"No you haven't, you've been playing with the twins all afternoon, I want to see you do some actually swimming and get over this fear of yours."

Jasmina, realizing her boyfriend wasn't going to budge on this, decided to give in. But suddenly she got an idea, and a sly smile came over her face.

"As you wish, if you want me to swim, then I will swim."

And with that she swallowed her anxiety and dove beneath the waves. The water was clear enough so she could see, as she had a specific target in mind.

Before Severus figured out what she was doing, she had seized him about the ankles and yanked him off his feet so he landed in the water with a splash.

No sooner had she dumped him in there, Jasmina turned tail and fled for the shore, knowing her would be on her in a second.

She didn't get very far.

"You little minx!" Severus growled and she heard the splashing of the water as he came after her.

She got to the shallows before he caught her about the waist and spun her around laughing. "You would definitely have been a Slytherin if you had gone to Hogwarts with me," he said chuckling as he put her down and she turned to face him. His expression had grown soft in the dying sun and she wondered at it.

"Sometimes I do wish you had been there with me," he said, his tone growing lower. "Maybe then I wouldn't have been so alone."

"Well, we're together now," she said softly. "That's not something that's about to change."

"Still," Severus said as he slid his arms around her waist. "Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I had met you earlier in life. What might have been different?"

Jasmina looked at him for a long while and saw that the hurt from his past was still there and she gently touched the side of his face. "I don't know what would have happened. All I know is what's happening now. And in the end, that's really all that matters."

"I suppose it wouldn't do to think on the past, as its over and done," Severus mused. "And it wouldn't do to think on the future either as it has yet to arrive."

"Yes," Jasmina said gently keeping her hand on the side of his face. "All that matters is you and me and Henry and Ria and our families. And come what may, we'll always have each other, despite what the past or the future says."

Looking at her in the dying light of sun as it faded behind the dunes of the desert, Severus began to believe it was possible. That he could have a future in Egypt. A bright future with his son and daughter and a woman who cared about him, where he could be successful and appreciated like he hadn't been in England, where he wasn't afraid of what people would say and not be haunted by the past.

And so he did something that up until now he had been afraid to do.

He bent and gently kissed Jasmina on the mouth.

After the briefest of seconds, she responded and he could feel all the love and the care for him in her response. An explosion of sparks went off inside of him, it was tender and sweet, but electric and passionate at the same time, he knew at that point that he wasn't holding on to the memories of Lily anymore, she was dead and buried, and he had moved on with his life.

This was it, this was what life should have been like, this was probably as good as it was going to get. Severus didn't see how it could get any better at that point. Despite an uncertain future and impending prophecies and vengeful gods, he knew what he wanted.

But with the sun behind them, warm on the sand, a gentle breeze blowing and the laughter of the twins at his back, Severus began to feel as if anything was possible.

Tony, who had been playing a game of leap frog on the sand with his niece and nephew looked up to see the scene with cousin and looked down at his feet smiling.

_About damn time. _

"Come on Uncle Tony, it's your turn!" Henry called out.

"Where's Daddy and Miss Mina?" Ria asked as she looked up from her frog position.

Before she could see what her father and teacher were doing, Tony leapt forward and placed a hand over both of their eyes.

"Uncle Tony, I can't see anything!" Ria protested, trying to remove his big hand from her face without success.

"That's the idea kiddo, there's nothing to see here," Tony smirked. He turned them gently both around toward the walls of the Institute before taking his hands off their eyes. "Come on, let's roll up the mat Miss Mina brought and then you guys can walk me back to the flooing point."

Ω

Severus had to leave right after that for his meeting with the Director, so Jasmina volunteered to walk with Tony to the floo point with the twins so they could say goodbye to their uncle.

"So when did you and Sev meet?" Antonius asked as they walked slowly back through the Institute. The twins were running ahead, chattering excitedly as four year old often do while the two adults walked behind talking quietly.

"I met Severus on his second day here actually. He had lost his way to one of his classes and I happened to see him wandering down the hallways looked terribly confused, so I took pity on him and walked him there."

"And the rest is history?"

"Something like that. I started teaching the twins on that first day too and thought them the most beautiful children I had ever seen, and I fell in love with them right away."

"They seem to have taken quite a shine to you," Antonius observed. "You were all they talked about when they were in Italy for the weekend."

Jasmina gave the two small dark heads of hair ahead of her a gentle smile. "They would be the ideal children for me. I already love them so much."

"I think you'd make a good mother for them," Antonius said quietly. "Much better than Lily was."

Jasmina looked up at him sharply. "You knew her?"

"Not really. Sev talked to be about her a lot in his last few years of school. They were on and off, and I didn't really know what to call them. It all came to a head though one night when they were twenty and she came to him crying because of something her boyfriend had said to her. He comforted her, one thing led to another and he wakes up the next morning to find a single note telling him she was sorry. Nine months later the twins were born."

"You didn't like her did you?" The Egyptian observed.

"No," Antonius said grimly. "Severus was my brother and best friend growing up, we liked the same foods had a passion for potions and had the same pastimes. And I can honestly say that the only good thing that came out of his relationship with Lily was the twins. She was the worst thing to ever happen to him."

"Why do you say that?"

"You know that Sev was abused by father when he was a kid right?"

"Yes he told me."

"Then you might also know that Lily was his first friend and the only one he had throughout his years at Hogwarts. She defended him when he was bullied and never seemed to mind that he was shy and quiet and not the most attractive person she had ever seen."

"That certainly doesn't seem to be the case now."

Antonius grinned. "That was because when he arrived in Italy my mother pronounced he was as thin as a skeleton and spent the next few weeks feeding him. When he had filled out some, I introduced him to running on the beach and daily exercise. The result is what you now see. It's funny how good one can look with a little confidence."

Jasmina certainly agreed. When she had brought Severus for dinner with her family, a few of her aunts had looked him over and asked if she was finally ready to revoke her policy of avoiding marriage. She had blushed at the time.

"What happened later?" Jasmina asked, trying to get the conversation back on track to the topic it was earlier.

"When he was fifteen, Sev kind of fell in with the wrong crowd, it sort of drove a wedge between them and the fact that he was bullied mercilessly by members of her house didn't help matters. It all came to a head when they played a cruel prank on him and in a fit of rage, he called her not a very nice name. She refused to talk to him after that."

"But surely she must have known it was the heat of the moment and he didn't mean it?" Jasmina asked surprised.

"You would think that wouldn't you? But I'm coming to understand that common sense and selflessness weren't some of Lily Evans best traits."

"What happened after that?"

"They were able to reconcile about a year after they graduated and by that time she was dating James Potter, the boy what had bullied Sev in school."

"What?" Jasmina gasped, appalled. "She married that bastard after everything he did to Severus?"

"That was my reaction exactly," Tony concurred. "Like I said, she didn't seem to be the most selfless person."

By this time they had reached the tall doors of the Institute leading into it from the Outer Courtyard.

"And then?" Jasmina asked.

"Well the rest you kind of know. She used Sev and didn't even have the decency to let him know that he was a father when she found out she was pregnant with the twins. He's over her now and my mum and I were very glad. It was a toxic relationship and the twins were the only good things that came out of it."

Jasmina was a quiet for a few minutes taking all the information in. "What I want to know is why on earth, she would ever consent to marry the man who bullied her best friend?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Tony said grimly as they walked through the silent halls of the Institute. "But she never deserved him. Sev's been through a lot in his life and he didn't deserve the heart break she put him through. He was twice the man that James Potter ever was. Although in the end I think she realized that. But by that time it was too late."

"And what about me?" Jasmina asked somewhat jokingly, but she was half serious too. "Do I pass your test?"

Tony looked sideways at her for a long moment and for a second she was afraid that he would say no.

"I think you've got a good chance," he said finally. "I mean I've only know you for a few hours, but I can already telly you're good for both Sev and the twins. He's happier than I've ever seen him and I think you're a big part of that. So thank you."

Something that Jasmina had learned about Antonius in the past few hours was that he was the more fun loving of the two cousins. He loved to laugh and play with his niece and nephew and while they were technically cousins, she could see that in every way, he and Severus were brothers. She was glad for that.

Antonius was serious and intelligent and fiercely loyal when it came to his family, despite the fact that he liked to have fun and perhaps flirt a bit. But she could see that he was an honorable man and that he would fight to the death to protect his own.

"Well I can't exactly take credit for his transformation. It had something to do with my brother and my family and the Director as well. They've all kind of taken Severus under their wing, made him feel as if this was his home, and in time he began to realize it too."

"True, but you didn't know him when he was in Italy. You didn't see how rarely he smiled or how serious he was. I almost didn't recognize him when I got here. He smiles he laughs, he takes time to play with his children and he never did that to such an extent before."

By this point, they had reached the boats at the entrance to the Institute and the twins climbed in eagerly.

The ride across was silent as Jasmina pondered what he had said. He had paid her a big compliment and while thankful for it, it would be difficult to live up to.

"See the thing is, Lily was too self-righteous," Antonius explained. "She saw everything in terms of black and white, never considering that there were other possibilities. She thought she knew best and in the end it got her killed, and the twins nearly died too. If Severus hadn't arrived when he did, they would have been taken and used in an asinine plot by that manipulative fool Albus Dumbledore."

"This was his former headmaster?" Jasmina asked. "I knew there was bad blood between them, in that he favored all the other houses but Slytherin, but why did he feel so. Surely there most have been a reason other than that self-styled fool Tom Riddle."

"Unfortunately that was all the reason people needed I'm afraid. Fear makes people do stupid things and this was one of them. Dumbledore never stopped James Potter and his following of Marauders from bullying Sev mercilessly. It was times like that that I wished he went to school with me, we could have looked out for each other, but he didn't want to leave Lily."

"How could she choose to marry that arrogant, manipulative, insolent….." she trailed off and then cursed in Arabic, glad the twins didn't know enough yet to understand what she meant.

"Even though I didn't understand what that was, my sentiments exactly," Tony said with a grim laugh. "I never understood it myself. Sev told me she claimed he had changed. But a bully doesn't stop being a bully simply because they grow up, they only bully and harass their coworkers and employees until someone takes them down. This may come back to bite me later, but I don't really care that he died, and in some ways, I'm even glad." He looked up at her as the boat docked on the other side of the river. "Is that wrong?"

"I don't think so," Jasmina said as he helped her out of the boat. The twins ran ahead of them up the stone steps to the entry building. "He was someone who caused your family pain. I would be relieved at his death as well."

When they got to fireplace for international travel, Antonius turned and gave Jasmina a warm smile before he bent and hugged his niece and nephew. "You be good for your dad and Miss Mina you hear?"

"Yes Uncle Tony," the chorused in solemn unison.

He straightened up and looked at Jasmina. "You take care of Sev for us okay? My mum worries about his every day and I'd like to tell her he's being taken care of. And above all else, please don't break his heart. I've never seen him this happy before and I would hate for anything to ruin that."

"That is something I never plan on doing," Jasmina said inclining her head to him.

"Good, because for the record, I like you a whole lot better than Lily. You bring out the best in him, she only brought him pain. You deserve him, she never did."

With that, he stepped into the fireplace, yelled out his home address and was gone in a puff of green smoke.

As he disappeared from the Institute, Antonius thought, _I wonder how long it's going to be before Sev pops the question._

Ω

"What did you wish to see me about Severus?" Mubarak asked as they sat down on the stone terrace.

After Jasmina and the twins had walked Antonius back to the floo point, she said she would take them back to the house and help them with their homework before he came home.

He and the Director were sitting down on cushioned benches with the complimentary goblets of wine in their hands as they looked out over the bay at the dying sun.

Severus had been glad to see his cousin, glad that he had approved of Jasmina and that the two got along.

"In your professional opinion Director, is it possible that dreams can have prophetic qualities?"

Mubarak raised an eyebrow. "It is certainly possible Severus. Dreams were very important and almost a sacred part of the ancient Egyptian culture. The ancients saw dreams of the utmost importance as things are afforded in dreams that are not in life. They understood that in dreams, our eyes are opened, and the root word for _rwst_ is etymologically connected to the root phrase meaning, _to be awake. _Some believed that our dreaming states are more important in our waking states." He paused here and took a sip of his wine. "Why do you ask Severus?"

"Because in the past two days, both the twins and myself have been the subject of seemingly prophetic dreams."

Mubarak raised an eyebrow. "Pray tell, why do you think they are prophetic?"

Severus tightened his fist for a moment, took a deep breath and then opened it so the director could see his palm. "Because most dreams don't leave markings like this in one's skin."

The director blinked and even Severus could see that he was surprised.

"May I?" he asked, reaching out for the potions master's hand. Severus nodded and held it out to him.

Mubarak leaned forward and placed Severus's hand on top of his, palm facing upwards, so he could examine the curious mark.

After a moment, he let go and Severus took his hand back. "What does it all mean?" he asked almost desperately.

"Firstly, I think you should tell me about this dream you had and then we continue our discussion from there," Mubarak said calmly. Severus took a deep breath, he was both envied and was annoyed by the man's constant ability to keep calm. If Dumbledore's talent lay in being cryptic and manipulative, then Mubarak's was certainly his demeanor and iron clad nerve. Severus felt as if he were about to explode.

"Patience and endurance is one the ancients many qualities Severus. You would do well to remember that these sands are as old as time itself and the pyramids that rest upon them were built with tenacity and a longevity that baffles many today. Keep that in mind in the coming days."

Severus nodded, put a curb on his impatience and took a deep breath. Even when he was a kid, his impatience and temper had been his worst qualities.

It had been what had lost him Lily the first time.

_Enough Snape, _he thought. _That's over and done with. She's gone and she's never coming back, and you've moved on with your life with a beautiful woman who cares for your children as if she's their mother. _

Realizing that Mubarak was still waiting for the tale to be told, Severus cleared his throat and launched into the details.

He told the director about seeing the symbol made of the moon and stars in the night sky and then about his experience in the long hallway with the dais at the end. He told him about the staff sitting on the throne and how he had tried to pick it up and how it had burned worse than anything he had ever felt. And then he had awoken to the mark burned into his skin. He also told him about the identical dreams the twins had had and showed him the picture that Ria had drawn.

Mubarak was silent for a long time when he had finished and Severus shifted in his seat impatiently.

"The mark is the symbol of a god," the Egyptian said finally. "And one that was neutral in the fight with Seth thousands of years ago."

"Who is it?" Severus asked eagerly. He had been on pins and needles all day. He had felt like the dream was trying to tell him something because the symbol had appeared in it three times and he had expected the mark to fade, but it was still inked into his hand as plain as day.

"It is the symbol of Thoth," Mubarak said soberly. "The god of wisdom."

Severus blinked and then his memory did a rewind. He recalled the image show to him by Xenom in the fire from the day before and recalled Isis, Horus and Thoth standing upon the desert sands where Thoth fashioned the golden wings that Horus used to defeat Seth and his followers.

"The staff in your dream belong to him and with it, he plants knowledge in the minds of men with the flat face of the stone on the top and extracts it when he wishes something to be removed. That is what the curved instrument on the end of it is for," Mubarak said watching Severus carefully.

"So am I to understand that Thoth sent me that dream, and that he was trying to say something to me?" Severus asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that god could have anything to say to him.

"The thing you must understand about dream interpretation Severus, is that the two parts of you, the one that lay sleeping and the one that experienced the dream, are known as the Ba and the Ka. The Ba is what experiences the dream, and the Ka is the essence that remains with your physical body. Like the Muggles say, it is almost like having an out of body experience. So your Ba, went on this journey to learn something that Thoth wanted to impart."

"Wait a minute," Severus interjected. "We don't even know where the gods are much less if Seth will make a return. We don't know where Isis and Horus and Thoth and Ra and the rest of them disappeared to, how can I know that this is a dream from Thoth and not something brought on by the exhaustion and the ordeal that we went through yesterday?"

"If you truly believed that, then we would not be sitting here having this conversation," Mubarak replied sagely.

He had a point.

"I've accepted that the gods exist, they would have to in order for humans to get magic, but where have they disappeared to for the past three thousand years? Why aren't they here with us now?"

"Let me tell you something Severus, three thousand years ago, there was not one person in Egypt who wasn't religious. It was a part of the culture. Egypt was the most advanced civilization on the face of the earth and there has never been another civilization like it. Because the sun brought them life and allowed their crops to live, people worshiped it, because they did not know how it worked.

"As civilization advanced and moved west, fewer people began to remember Egypt's spiritual history and because they forgot, the gods retreated. They still exist, they are still as powerful now as they were thousands of years ago, but they are lying in wait. For what and where I know not."

Severus shoved a hand through his air. "So what do you think my dream means Director?"

Mubarak sat back in his chair and folded his hands together in his lap. "The reason that you moved throughout the dream Severus, is a unique concept that not many can do in their dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"The ancient Egyptians developed an advanced practice of conscious dream travel. When you were dreaming, were you aware that you were?"

"Yes," Severus replied quietly. "I remember looking down at my body still in the bed and wondering what on earth was going on."

"And that in and of itself is significant as not many can do that. In ancient times, trained dreamers operated as seers, remote viewers and telepaths, advising the pharaohs on military strategy and providing a mental communications network between far flung temples and administrative centers. And what is so fascinating about it is that some could practice shapeshifting, and crossing time and space in the dream bodies of birds and animals."

"You mean they could change their shape in dreams?" Severus asked, feeling a little awed.

"No Severus, what I mean is, if they perceived an animal asleep, they could insert themselves into the animals consciousness and in a sense, take over their minds and bid them travel to wear they need to go."

Severus was speechless. In all of his years of schooling, he had never heard of something like that before. "How did it work?" he asked incredulously.

"The animal and the person were connected by veins of magic and once both were but to sleep, the sorcerer's consciousness would be placed into the animals, so he would wake up in the mind of a bird or a cat and control its body. If they needed to reach some place in the dream like state where they would need an animal form, complex spells would be performed so that the person shapeshifted into an animal in the dream so they could travel to places in the dream world that only animals could go to. But in order to understand this and perform it with accuracy, the sorcerers had to first perceive that the waking reality is only one of many and the dreaming reality is another."

"Are people still doing this?" Severus asked in disbelief.

"Yes, there is still a group of them practicing in the city of Alexandria on the coast," Mubarak said, his voice growing lower. "They are called Masters of the Secret Things and they were temple priests in ancient times."

"I thought Alexandria was destroyed by Rome," Severus asked frowning.

"It was, yet by complex magics that no man will ever see with the naked eye again, they managed to raise the city again, particularly its library and established it as a community of knowledgeable sorcerers to have devoted their entire lives to dream craft. Not any many live there anymore and they are a hermit like people, they like to keep to themselves, but they are the most knowledgeable about dreams in all the land. If anyone knew what your dream meant in depth, they would. Do you wish to see them?"

Severus was a little taken aback by the question but after a moment, he nodded. "I think it's a good idea. How else will I know what Thoth was trying to tell me? And how do they know so much anyway?"

"Most of their knowledge is acquired from the book of the dead, and ancient text and a book of wisdom that was said to have been written by Thoth and bound together by Osiris before his fall at Seth's hands. It is by this books that the ancient thought the gods revealed themselves and sent warnings and prophecies as well as counsel."

"I think I would very much like to go and see them," Severus said earnestly. "If only to know what this dream means, because I know in my heart that it means something very important."

"I do not doubt that," Mubarak said. "Very well, I must take a few days to wrap up some business here at the Institute, and then we will go. But I must warn you, the journey will be an overnight trip."

Severus paused, thinking about where the twins would go. He thought of Jasmina immediately and relaxed. "I'll see to it," he said and got up to leave, thanking the director.

"Severus?"

The young man turned back at Mubarak's call. "Yes Director?"

"What do you think that this dream means?"

He paused. "I think it means that Thoth may give me some wisdom in the coming days and if things happen in the way I hope they don't…..then we're going to be in need of some wisdom and badly."

Ω

Later that evening, Severus and Jasmina were walking along the beach hand in hand. The twins were staying the night with a friend of theirs from school and one of Severus's colleagues.

All was quiet and the water of the bay was lapping gently at the shore and the moon was full in a night sky full of stars.

"What are you thinking about?" Severus asked as he looked down at the quiet Egyptian next to him. She had been strangely quiet all evening and even though this had been one of the best days he had ever had since coming to Institute, he could tell there was something on her mind.

"There's something I feel I should ask you," she began. "Antonius told me something when I went with the twins to see him off today and…well I felt I should ask you about it."

"What did he say?" Severus asked carefully. Antonius and Emilia were the only ones who knew everything about his past, every scar on his back from Tobias's belt, the many bruises that had faded with time as a result of the Marauders, but left wounds underneath none the less.

"He told me about the abuse you suffered at school from those…" she trailed and said a curse word in Arabic that caused Severus to give a half smile in amusement. Jasmina had a temper when she was aroused but it was much more subtle than Lily's had ever been, which made it more effective in a way.

"The Marauders yes," he said grimly. "I was their favorite punching bag and even when Lily starting dating Potter, it continued."

"I don't understand why she would do that," Jasmina said indignantly. They reached a log that had been washed ashore and baked in the sun and Severus sat down carefully, pulling her down next to him.

"She did it because I lost my temper when they were bullying me and called her a name that I had sworn I would never use."

Jasmina had a feeling she knew what it was.

"It was the worst day of my life," Severus said softly. "It took her over a year to forgive me and even longer to forgive myself and during that year, I swore that I was never going to let Riddle recruit me. All the staff at Hogwarts said I was the brightest potions prodigy they had ever seen since Merlin and I knew in that year that if I wanted to keep Lily, I was going to have to give up my desire for power. Thankfully I never took the mark."

When Zafeer had gone to England five years ago to participate and observe a Wizengamot meeting as a guest, he had returned to tell his family how foolish the British wizards were and how they were doing nothing to stop this Riddle fool. So Jasmina knew a little bit about the Death Eaters, it was a stupid name, and the mark they were supposed to bear.

"And the twins were conceived some time later?" she asked softly.

"Yes, and then I didn't seen her again for almost two years, it was only when she was dying that she told me I was a father."

"Forgive me, but that seems incredibly selfish," Jasmina observed. "Henry and Ria are your children too and you had a right to know."

"Truthfully I don't think I would have believed her if she had tried to tell me, she had hurt me so badly. But when she was dying, I knew this was something she wouldn't lie about and when I saw they had all my facial features and her eyes….well I couldn't deny the truth after that."

"I still don't understand why she would consent to marry that James Potter."

"She claimed he had changed, but the truth is bullies don't really change, they just leave school and become bigger bullies to their coworkers and families. If it wasn't for Potter's idiocy in not leaving the country when he had the chance, he and Lily might have lived."

"But then you would never have become a father," Jasmina pointed out gently. "You wouldn't have come here certainly, in effect you wouldn't be the person that you are not had those changes not occurred."

"That is certainly true, although I certainly could have done without the beatings from Tobias," Severus said quietly.

"How did you not let it overcome you?" she asked softly. "Many would have succumbed long ago to that kind of abuse. How did you escape it all?"

"My aunt Emilia and Antonius, they saved my life. It's something I'll never be able to repay, but that doesn't mean I won't try until the end of my days."

"I don't understand what kind of monster would abuse his own flesh and blood. In Egypt, children are some of the most precious gifts one can have. You do not mistreat a gift like that."

Severus looked at her for a long moment. "You were afraid to ask me about my past weren't you?"

She twisted her hands in her lap as they sat by the water's edge. "Perhaps a little, you may have told me in time, but it wasn't really my place to ask all of that…..about Lily about the school bullies about…..about your father."

Severus saw the tears glistening in her eyes for all that he had gone through and felt a surge of something that he had never felt before. Jasmina understood him and his heart in a way that Lily never did, and never would have been able to because of her stubbornness and pride.

And in that instant, he decided to do something. He turned his back to her and reached his arms up before he pulled his shirt off.

"Severus what are you – " Jasmina cut off when she saw the scars on his back in the moonlight. There were many, they were thin and long as if from the metal stick that held a belt closed. They were white and tan in some places now because they were old and some had faded but she could still see them."

"Oh Severus," she whispered brokenly. "What did he do to you?"

"It was a long time ago Mina," he replied. "And I wanted to show this to you because the past, as painful as it is, isn't something to be afraid of anymore because it's over. Yes I still have these scars, but Tobias isn't around to call me worthless anymore or beat me senseless in a drunken stupor. He's dead and gone and he can't hurt anyone anymore. These scars are reminders to never forget where I came from, no matter how successful I become or how many titles I receive."

By this time, tears were streaming down her face. He had been strong for so long, endured so much to get where he was and now he had.

"You can touch them," Severus said quietly. "It's okay, I don't want you to be afraid of them either."

Hesitantly, Jasmina reached out a hand and ran a finger gingerly along the skin of his back. His body was hard and muscled now from years of pushing his body in physical training so he would never be the weak scrawny boy who was picked on again, but the scars remained.

At her touch, Severus stiffened ever so slightly and goosebumps rose on the skin of his back, but he didn't turn away.

At last, Jasmin took her hand back and Severus turned toward her, his handsome face brimming with sorrow, but understanding. "You are the only person I've ever shown those to besides my mother. The encounter I had with Lily was brief and even she didn't know. But I showed those to you, because I am no longer afraid of the past and neither should you. I knew you were a little afraid of asking about it because you thought it might still have a hold on me. But it doesn't. Tobias is gone, Potter is gone and Lily is gone. The only person that has a hold on me now besides my children and what family I have left…..is you. And you are one of the best things that has ever happened to me since I came here."

She warmed at his words and smiled. "I didn't want to appear insecure, but Antonius told me that he never liked Lily because she had broken his heart and I knew that was your pain to get past, I didn't want to pressure you to share it with me, but I hoped that you would when you felt safe enough."

"And I did," Severus said gently as he rested a hand against the side of her beautiful face. "Lily was a part of my past, and while I will always respect her and being the mother of my children, they never knew her and someone has taken the mother role in their life. I know you've taken an important place in mind."

"I thought it would take you years to say that," Jasmina whispered.

"It has been years," Severus admitted. "Lily died four and a half years ago, but since I came to Egypt, I realized I didn't love her anymore. There is someone far more important in my life now."

With that, he bent and kissed her softly on the mouth, and both knew then that the other would be okay, come what may as long as they had each other.

Ω

**Okay, so this chapter was a bit less serious than the ones I've posted before. I hope it wasn't too boring. Don't worry we'll get back to the action filled parts in the coming chapters. I've gotten some reviews saying that when people read this story, it reminds them of the Disney cartoon Aladdin that came out two decades ago. I have a confession to make, that movie is my favorite of all the Disney movies and it and the Prince of Persia movie gave me some inspiration for this story. I thought that was kind of funny and ironic when you pointed that out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

"Tony I'm not sure about this," Severus said nervously.

It had been a few days since Antonius had returned to Italy and since then, the wheels in his head had been turning. Severus had told him that he and the Egyptian had been seeing each other romantically for about six weeks.

Six weeks!

And they hadn't even gone on a proper date!

For any self-respecting hot blooded Italian male, that was sacrilegious!

So two days after his return from Egypt and amidst answering all of his mother's questions about Sev's new girlfriend, he decided to call his cousin and tell him exactly what he thought of his inaction.

"Sev you're going out with the most beautiful woman in all of Egypt. And the closest thing you've had to a real date is a hostage situation with a bunch of cultists in Giza! You don't honestly expect that your inaction in the romantic department is a turn on do you?"

Severus was glad that his cousin couldn't see the blood rushing to his cheeks from embarrassment. Thankfully his silence inferred enough.

"So what do you suggest I do Cupid?"

"Merlin, have I taught you nothing of the female persuasion?" Tony said in gross over dramatics.

"I've never been the type of person who simply had to walk up to a woman and say hello and have her jump into my bed like you Tony," Severus retorted.

He was feeling a little frustrated. There had been so much going on in the last few days and now his cousin was giving him grief because he hadn't taken his girlfriend out for dinner!

But as he thought about it, he couldn't help but grimace because his cousin did have a point. He did want to let Jasmina know how much she meant to him and how much she had made a lasting impression on him and the twins.

Even still though…a date?

That was a little scary in its own right. Severus had never been on a real date before and his mouth dried out at the mere thought of it.

Where would they go? What would they talk about? Were there any type of wizarding restaurants in Egypt? Would the twins come with them, or would they stay at home?

"Don't be an idiot Severus," he muttered to himself, smacking his forehead. "Of course they're not coming with you. This is an evening for Jasmina, not them."

He wondered absently who they would stay with for the evening and pondered the idea of asking Tony to keep them occupied.

It was just one of the many complications that came along with a being a single father. He wasn't complaining, but juggling the twins, the future and his complicated love life was still something he was getting used to.

"That's because you're too busy glaring into your cauldron to see the way that the other women looked at you in Italy and Britain. With a little grooming, you could be as good as me."

"Pardon me, but who is the one with the girlfriend and who is the one that is still single?"

"Touché."

Severus grinned at his cousin's head in the flames. "I appreciate it Tony, really I do. But I don't even know where I would take Mina for dinner or any other place out. I don't know Egypt well enough yet."

"Then get to know it! Because I guarantee that nothing kills the mood faster than a lack of romance and an overabundance of dangerous situations!"

He paused and Severus was a little surprised by the sincerity in his cousin's face. "Look Sev, it's been four years and a half years since Lily's death. And while you may not have noticed the changes in yourself during that time, we did."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you rarely took yourself out of business mode in those four years, except when you were with the twins. The only female that you ever spent any time with was Mother and you had your head practically submerged in your cauldron twenty four hours a day, seven days a week!"

"What's your point?"

"My point is that you need to live a little. You never looked a woman in the eye since Lily died and it was as if they didn't even exist for you. You were so focused on completing your potions goals and taking care of the twins that you forgot to take care of yourself and are only just remembering your own happiness now. Jasmina is the only woman who you let get close to you and in some ways she deserves an Order of Merlin for that. Now it's time for you to show her exactly what that means to you."

Severus heaved a big sigh. Antonius did have a point. He and Mina hadn't had what he would call a real date, and the only thing that came close was the fact that they sometimes spent their evenings walking the beach by the bay.

"Very well, you're right."

"Of course I am, I'm always right!"

"So are you going to help me with this or what?"

"Cousin you're going to need all the help you can get."

Ω

Albus Dumbledore was in a bit of a conundrum.

It had been four and a half years since the "Halloween Massacre" as the wizarding public still referred to it, in Godric's Hollow. The dark lord dead, as well as all four Potters…what a tragedy.

But was it really?

It was a mystery that as far as anyone was concerned was a cold case.

But Albus Dumbledore wasn't just anyone.

The moment the names of Harry and Isabelle Potter had disappeared from the Hogwarts Registry, he had been convinced that it was all over, that the game was up.

Fortunately none of the wizarding public believed that Voldemort would make a return…..although Albus wasn't so sure. Why hadn't they found a body? Only a long robe and a wand had been discovered.

He knew Tom had been dabbling in dark magic, but how dark was the question and was it possible that he really wasn't dead and had found a way to make himself immortal?

It was a shudder inducing thought and one that couldn't be completely ruled out as thoroughly obtuse. And that was what worried Albus.

Over the last few years, he had made his way to Godric's Hollow, under the guise of paying his respects, but really, he was looking for clues.

Because Albus Dumbledore wasn't convinced that the Potter twins were dead, and every time he went, he searched the cottage to see if he could ascertain some clue as to what happened that night.

But every single time, he had been unsuccessful and this time, he braved the wreckage half-heartedly, already convinced that he wasn't going to find anything.

It was then that he stumbled upon it

Contrary to popular belief, the wizarding community had left everything in the house the way it was in honor of the fallen Potters. And it was in coming upon the old crib of Harry and Isabelle, half destroyed when Lily had been blasted back into it, that he discovered something.

And he saw two small drops of dried blood.

He peered closer and frowned. They were lying almost side by side on the dinghy sheets that still covered the mattress, thinly layered in dust and debris from the half caved in roof.

But he would recognize blood anywhere.

After seeing decades of strife, blood was something he was all too familiar with.

Albus peered closer, wondering if it was Lily or the twins' blood and also speculating on how he could have missed it. So far his biggest clues that Voldemort and the twins weren't dead were the fact that there hadn't been any bodies found.

And as he looked at them, it suddenly occurred to him that what he was seeing wasn't just blood.

It was a clue.

It was a clue to the disappearance of the Potter twins.

Albus began to feel himself trembling with excitement as he took out his wand and carefully cut a perfect circle in the old fabric. He sealed it gingerly to make sure that it wouldn't be contaminated.

Blood magic was a complicated science and he wasn't even sure that it would work given that this blood was over four years old, but perhaps there would be a clue in it as to what happened that night.

Because if he knew what had happened that night, he might be able to ascertain who had taken Harry and Isabelle…..and by extension where they were.

He quickly apparated back to Hogwarts and hurried up to his office, hands almost shaking with excitement. After four years, the trail was no longer cold and he might just discover what had happened that night

And the twins would be returned to wizarding Britain…where they belonged.

Ω

One might think that with all of the drama that had surrounded Severus in the past few months since he had come to Europe, his marks at the Institute may have gone down.

But then that one didn't know Severus Snape.

In order to distract himself from the pending and alarming future, he threw himself almost literally into his cauldron.

He and Adil were the top in their class and Severus found the friendly competition between himself and the youngest Zaeem male was refreshing. He had been ahead of everyone in his class at Hogwarts and aside from Lily; no one had been able to keep up with him. It had been a convenient escape from his ugly ass life and in reality, potions had saved him from joining the Death Eaters because it had given him a purpose and direction and goal with his life. He had been able to focus on something other than revenge, it had asked him what he wanted to do and then told him to go for it.

And Severus wasn't about to let his fellowship at the Institute fall through simply because the future carried some sinister connotations.

This was why when he was furiously stirring his cauldron one evening a few days after Tony left, practicing a potion at home while the twins were upstairs sleeping that he was surprised with a knock on the door.

After ensuring he would have adequate time before adding the final ingredient, Severus got to his feet and opened the door, blinking in surprise when it revealed his girlfriend.

"Mina!" he said. "What are you doing here, I thought you would have gone home."

"I was going to," she said as he stepped back to let her into the house. "But then I realized that I hadn't seen you in a few days to ask how your meeting with the Director went. What did he say about your dream?"

Severus ran a hand through his long hair as she followed him back to the kitchen where his cauldron was still sitting on the burner. "Apparently the god Thoth has something that he wants to say to me."

Jasmina blinked and reeled back a step. "He thinks it's an omen from one of the gods?"

"Not an omen, I'm not even sure what it was that Thoth was trying to tell me, just that it was something I needed to know. I just kept seeing his symbol everywhere Mina, and when I touched his staff in my dream –"

"Wait a minute, you touched his staff? I remember you telling me about the dream but not that part of it!"

"Yes, I don't know why I did it, something was just…..compelling me to do it, and the instant I did, there was this burning sensation in my hand, worse than any kind of burn I ever received when I was back in England and after that I woke up. With is on my hand," he said lifting his pa, to show her.

Jasmina frowned and gently took hold of his hand and brought it close to her face so she could examine it. The mark was about the size of his palm and still a bit red from where it had been burned.

"Did the Director tell you what it means?" she asked curiously. The ways of the gods were mysterious and they had not revealed themselves to mortals in the last few thousand years so for one to do so now was highly irregular.

"No because he has no idea of what it means either, but he did tell me of some people who might."

"Dreams were very important in Egyptian mythology Severus," Jasmina observed. "In fact there was an entire sect of priests dedicated to the interpretation of the art form in ancient times."

"The Masters of the Secret Things?" Severus asked as he stirred the contents of his cauldron and peering into it.

"Yes," Jasmina said looking a little surprised. "Did the Director tell you of them?"

"He did," Severus replied. "I was sure that my dream meant something and after hearing about the dreams the twins had when they were in Italy for the past two days, I figured it would be a good idea to bring them too."

"I beg your pardon?"

When Severus had told her of the twins' dream about the prophecy, something he had never told them, she sat down hard in one of the chairs next to them, her face going slightly pale.

"What do you think it means?" she whispered.

Severus turned the burner beneath the cauldron off. "Truthfully I don't know. But what I do know is that I would be a fool if I didn't follow up this lead. I have to know what Thoth was trying to tell me and how it was that the twins knew about the prophecy if I never told them. So that's what my meeting with Mubarak was about."

"What did he say?"

"He said that while he didn't possess the skill of dream interpretation, that the sect we just spoke of did. And that they still live in Alexandria and so he asked if in a few days' time, I would like to go and see them, and I have said yes."

"Are you taking the twins with you?"

"I think it would be a prudent idea. They have had dreams as well of exactly the same kind. It might have something to do with the fact that they're twins, but I'd like a professional opinion none the less."

He looked up to see a slightly wistful look on his girlfriend's face. "What?"

"Nothing," she said. "It's just...well I've lived in Egypt my entire life and I've never been to Alexandria before. I've heard it's beautiful because it's right on the edge of the Mediterranean."

Severus set his stir stick to one side and smiled at her. "You know Mina, if you want to come with us, all you had to do was ask."

"Really?"

"Of course, I was going to ask if you wanted to come along anyway. Aside from coming to Egypt, I've never taken the twins on a vacation before and I think they would love it if you came with us."

Jasmina's face softened into a smile. "I would love to. I have always wanted to see the place. The desert is my home and I truly do love it here, but there are times when I do wish I could see an actual ocean."

"Well it's settled then," Severus said smiling. "We leave in two days for Alexandria."

Then he paused. "But it will be an overnight trip, will your family be alright with that?"

The Egyptian gave a soft laugh. "I've taken overnight trips without them before Severus, if you must know."

The potions master looked a little uncomfortable. "I know but this is the first time, you've been away overnight with a man who isn't from your family."

This time Jasmina really did laugh. "I am an adult Severus, and if I know my family the way that I think I do, something tells me they won't have a problem with it at all."

Ω

Later that evening, Jasmina was in her chambers. She had just finished dressing for bed when there was a sound of the beads at the door being parted and she turned to find her mother standing at the door.

Since news of the prophecy had broken, Hatshepsut had opted to remain at home with her family for the moment.

"Can I come in?" she asked and her daughter nodded.

Jasmina's room was two floors above the ground and had its own balcony with the marble railing atop of which was adorned white sphinxes every few feet. The ceiling wasn't high, but it was held up by marble pillars that accented the sandstone walls nicely. The bed was large and situated atop three stone steps. It was hung with silken draperies to keep away the insects but still provided a view of the outside. It had a lovely view of the river and the jungles in the oasis beyond. The whole atmosphere was one of peace and solitude.

"Certainly mother," she said and Hatshepsut stepped inside.

"I wanted to speak to you of Severus."

"Is something wrong?" Jasmina frowned.

Hatshepsut folded her hands in front of her, something she always did when she was about to impart some piece of wisdom and inwardly the younger woman braced herself.

"No, of course not. I just wanted to tell you...proceed with caution. I like Severus very much and his children are delightful. Has he told you all of his past?"

"He has," Jasmina replied wondering where this was going.

Hatshepsut relaxed. "Good, but more than that, I wanted to ask how you feel about him."

"How I feel about him?" Jasmina asked confused.

"Come darling, there isn't very much you can hide from me. I'm your mother. I knew the minute you brought him for dinner with the family that he was special to you. And now that I understand that things between the two of you are getting a little more serious, I just wish to know...well how serious."

"We haven't spoken of marriage if that is to which you are referring," the younger Egyptian said slowly.

"I wasn't implying that you had," Hatshepsut reassured her. "But has the thought crossed your mind?"

"I would be lying if I didn't say that it has," the beautiful Egyptian said quietly. "Over the last few months I have come to care for him a great deal and there are times when I can honestly imagine a life with him. I didn't expect to feel this way so soon mother," she said.

Hatshepsut smiled. "No one ever does darling. I married your father when I was eighteen years old. Though it was blessed by your grandfather, I was scared in my own right. I didn't know how to be a wife of a Zaeem and I was terrified."

Jasmina knew her mother had formerly been a member of the House of Rasheed. They were a house that had been around since Rome had conquered Egypt and they were quite a few centuries younger, but still respected none the less.

The House of Rasheed had consisted of many fierce warriors. When Egypt was conquered a branch of them had immigrated to Rome and become bodyguards for the emperors in the next few years. But they had never forgotten their roots and Hatshepsut had been the branch of the family that remained in Egypt.

Because they had been bodyguards and duellists in both the magical and Muggle worlds, all members of the ancient family knew how to fight with both Muggle weapons and the magic of their cores. The Zaeems did it as well, in fact all of the ancient Egyptian families permitted their children to be formidable duellists and sword wielders. They began training in those arts at the age of ten.

The reason for the obvious importance placed upon defending oneself, was because Egypt had been the jewel of the Middle East at one time and all the other countries around it were vying to possess its wealth. The magic users of the Middle East were a fierce and proud people and it burned them that their beautiful country had been invaded by the Greeks and the Romans in ancient times. They were not a colony, but a sovereign nation, one as old as time itself.

The match between her mother and her father had been an arranged marriage, but Zafeer and Hatshepsut, despite a few differences in the beginning had learned to love each other and their children had become a part of that. In the end, everything had worked out, but Jasmina could see that it had been a scary experience for her mother.

"I am a little afraid mother," she said quietly. "I'm afraid of what these feelings might lead to. There is a curse upon my blood and with a prophecy foretelling an apocalypse hanging over everyone's head well…is now really the best time for declarations of love?"

"Darling of course it is," Hatshepsut said earnestly, taking her hand. She led her daughter over to the mass of plush pillows and mats sitting on the floor by the fire. They sat down and she continued.

"Now is the best time because those words are infinitely precious and they need to be said because you do not know what tomorrow will bring."

"Touting the prophecy are you mother?" Jasmina asked smirking

"Of course not. But even though time has been kind to our family, it might not always be so, and while your relationship with Severus is still fresh, to me and your father and your siblings and the rest of your family…it is real. That is the most important mark of love. After my marriage to your father, I knew within about four or five months that I loved him truly and was not with him out of obligation to my family."

"When did you truly know?" Jasmina asked quietly.

It was right after Mustafa was born. I was holding him in my arms and standing on the bank of the river and I heard footsteps behind me. It was your father, and without warning, he snaked his arms around my waist from behind. He didn't say anything…..but he didn't need to. It was enough that he was there. And this sense of…completeness came over me. Like everything was the way it was supposed to me. Do you understand?"

"I think I do," Jasmina whispered.

Truthfully, the feeling was still new for her. But the first time she had felt that way was the day Antonius had come to visit and she and Severus had been playing with the twins in the water. Looking up at the sun and the sparking water, the handsome man beside her and the laughing children in her arms, she felt this feeling of…..being full. As if her heart had reached maximum capacity, and her happiness was complete.

"I have felt that with Severus. The feeling as if there was no place I would rather be, and it feels…right," Jasmina said quietly.

"That is when you know…that what you're feeling is love," Hatshepsut said squeezing her daughter's hand. "And when you realize that, you need to grab hold of it… and never let go."

Ω

Minerva McGonagall was the epitome of a Gryffindor.

She was fiercely protective, had a temper as vicious as the large cats and possessed claws sharp enough to draw blood. She was a formidable duellist and anyone who had been unfortunate enough to cross wands with her hand been beaten black and blue with it as a lesson for anyone else who had ideas about getting fresh.

Today however, her claws were retracted as she was grading some transfiguration essays, but her wand was sitting next to her, waiting to be used.

She would be in need of it soon enough.

The sound of the floo in her fireplace caused her to look up and she noted with some surprise that the headmaster's face was sitting in the flames.

"May I come through Minerva?" he asked. "I have something rather urgent to discuss with you."

The head of Gryffindor nodded her consent and schooled her face into an expressionless mask, keeping her Occlumency shields up as she had often been doing when the headmaster was around.

She had been corresponding with Severus regularly and received a letter from him every week, updating her on how the twins had been doing in their new school. They had been in Egypt for a few months already and had made of a great deal of new friends and were learning a lot.

She was very proud of him. Even though he had never been in her house, Severus had been a credit to Hogwarts and she was appalled and disgusted that the headmaster had ignored and belittled someone as brilliant as he was.

_If he continues to disregard Slytherin House simply because of Riddle's propaganda and history there, then I will seriously be considering early retirement!_

She was half serious. The things that Albus let slide here from the other houses were deplorable and he was a big part of the reason that the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin existed in the first place.

Minerva wondered if there was some way she could obtain a position in the Mubarak Institute. She specialized in Transfiguration, but Potions had always been a special hobby of hers. And while she had chosen to go into the former, it had mostly been due to her parent's prompting, else she would have chosen potions. She had all of her potions credentials. It was worth looking into at the very least.

All of this went through her head as the headmaster stepped out of the fireplace where his usual garish loud robes.

He pulled up a chair at her desk without waiting for her to offer it, and she raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing.

"What can I do for you Albus?" she asked coolly. "I was just in the middle of grading some end of term exams."

"And while that is highly important my dear, I needed to speak to you about something I have discovered that is of epic proportions."

Minerva's hands stilled. He seemed unnaturally excited and she wondered what the root cause of it was. Normally when Albus became excited about something, it either meant very good things…or very bad things were about to happen.

"And what is that?" she asked calmly.

"As you know, every year I take a trip to Godric's Hollow to pay my respects to the Potters and see if there are any clues as to the disappearance of the Potter twins," he began.

"Albus, you know they're dead. Their names have disappeared from the Hogwarts register. If they were still alive those names would still be there," Minerva said in a placating manner.

The headmaster looked a little irritated at being interrupted but he nodded. "Yes, Minerva, originally I thought they were, but after taking a short trip into the cottage that James and Lily were staying in, I discovered something."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a section of old cloth that looked like it had once been part of a bedsheet and sitting in the center of said bedsheet were two small drops of dried blood.

Minerva blinked and adjusted her glasses on her nose. "I fail to see what this means Albus," she said calmly.

"My dear, this is a clue. A clue to what happened all those years ago. So I took the liberty of taking this to the goblins of Gringotts and had it analyzed and I discovered the most interesting thing."

The head of Gryffindor was doing an admirable job of looking interested, but inside, she was beginning to get a little nervous.

"And what was that?" she asked.

Albus leaned forward. "I was shocked upon learning it. I never believed that Lily was capable of such a thing but the proof was there in black and white."

"Albus, would you cease beating around the bush and tell me what in Godric's name it is that you are talking about!" Minerva snapped.

"I determined that the blood is indeed that of the twins, but there were some…irregularities with regards to their parentage."

"Irregularities?" Minerva asked, raising her Occlumency shields higher than ever. "What kind of irregularities?"

"Irregularities meaning that while Lily was indeed their mother…..James was not their father."

"What on earth are you rambling about Albus. You know very well that that's impossible. If James was not their father, than who on earth was it!?"

Honestly she deserved an award for the performance she was putting on, even though her blood was running cold with each word that the headmaster said.

Albus sat back in the chair and looked as if he couldn't believe it himself when he said it. "Their father is Severus Snape."

There was a moment of silence in the office where Minerva nearly panicked because what had been hidden for four and a half years was now being brought into the open.

_He knew. _

"That's not possible Albus," she said. "You know very well of the row that Lily and Severus engaged in in their fifth year. They never reconciled. It is not possible that he was their father."

"They must have worked through their differences sometime after they graduated," the headmaster mused to himself as if he wasn't even listening.

"Albus let's for a moment consider that you are right and Severus Snape actually was the twin's father." She was paying attention to the tenses she was using. Albus was watching her carefully and she knew that any slip up would result in disaster. "That still doesn't help us as they are dead."

"Perhaps you are right, and perhaps you are not my dear," the headmaster said indulgently. "But if the twins' are Severus's children, than perhaps he would know where they are."

"Do you even know where Severus is Albus?" McGonagall asked. "I have not seen him in years and neither have you."

"Very true, but that doesn't mean that he isn't able to be found," the headmaster said and Minerva didn't like the odd gleam in his eye.

"Albus what are you planning?" she asked warily as he got up and headed for the fireplace. He turned at the last minute before stepping inside. "Severus Snape has not been seen in England for a number of years Minerva. If he is the twins' father, I will find out. And if he has bowed to a new master, it would not be a prudent situation for the twins to be in and other more…suitable arrangements will have to be made."

"What kind of arrangements?" Minerva asked, her Scottish accent creeping back into her voice as it often did when she was angry.

"Why my dear, you know the plans that were put in place when we thought they were alive and in Great Britain. They will need to be separated before they are brought here. They are too powerful to keep together. Harry must go to his relatives and Isabelle will be sent…..elsewhere."

"Are you even listening to yourself Albus?" the head of Gryffindor snapped. "These are people's lives you are manipulating! If the twins are alive and Severus is their father, he is not going to give them up without a fight, and his claim to them will be stronger than yours will as his is by blood."

The headmaster paused. It appeared as if he hadn't considered that before. "Perhaps you are right my dear," he said. "I will have to make other arrangements."

"What other arrangements?" Minerva snapped but Albus only gave her an indulgent smile.

"All will be revealed in due course my dear. Just leave it to me."

With that he turned and walked back through the floo to his office.

Minerva waited until the floo had shut off before she seized the potted plant sitting on her desk and flung it at the wall in frustration.

_How in the seven hells did he find out? _She thought furiously. _The trail on the twins had gone cold years ago, but still the stubborn old man insists on looking for his pawns! _

She realized that this was bad…this was very bad. If he knew that the twins were alive and that they were with their father, then he would begin looking into Severus's family. And if he found Emilia and Antonius…..this was very bad indeed.

Minerva pushed all of her marking to the side, seized a fresh sheet of parchment off the desk and began to write furiously. She was done within a few minutes and tied two envelopes to the leg of her personal owl, one bound for Italy and the other for Egypt.

The head of Gryffindor watched at her window as the bird disappeared into the clouds and prayed that it would fly fast.

Severus needed to know that the gig was up…and Albus would be on the war path.

Ω

The next two days melted away in a quick succession of classes and school visits.

The twins were naturally thrilled to be taking a trip with the father and favorite teacher and when they found out that it would be to the ocean, they were even more ecstatic. It was all they could talk about for the next two days and Severus more than once had to tell them to go to sleep because their giggling was keeping the whole house awake.

He didn't see Jasmina much over those two days but he learned from Adil that she had to go home and take care of a few things before they left on their trip.

Mubarak would be going with them as well, and there were dwelling places for them to stay in Alexandria as the Mubaraks had first come from there.

Finally, early Saturday morning of that week came and Severus and twins were just bringing their small overnight bags downstairs when there was a tap on the door.

Severus hurried to open it and adopted a brilliant smile when he saw that it was the youngest Zaeem daughter.

"Mina!" he said happily, "You're early."

She stepped inside and gave him a gentle hug and a kiss before she bent to hug the twins.

"Despite my ancestry, I was feeling inordinately impatient today and I decided I would rather come to see you and the twins early than wait."

_I am certainly not complaining, _Severus thought wryly to himself.

The four of them went outside by the lily pond to wait and the twins immediately began to play with the small lotus plants sitting atop the water and began giggling to themselves.

"Have your family been to Alexandria before Mina?" Severus asked curiously.

"Once when I was small my mother and father went," the beautiful Egyptian replied. "Pharos Lighthouse was their favorite part. It had been destroyed by the Romans and Alexandria was conquered, but it was rebuilt by the Masters of the Secret Things as a lasting covenant that Egypt would not be a colony for long."

_A most apt notion, _Severus thought to himself.

"Where will we be meeting this sect of priests?" he asked and was startled when a new voice answered him.

"Alexandria's great library Severus."

The two of them turned and snapped to attention when they saw that the Director had entered the courtyard. Henry and Ria looked up and grinned.

"Hello Director," Ria said scrambling to her feet and hurrying over to him with her brother in tow.

"We didn't know you would be coming," Henry continued.

"Indeed," Mubarak said smiling warmly at the children. "Your father required some assistance in this venture and I was happy to oblige him."

"Hello Director," Jasmina said smiling at him.

"Miss Zaeem," he said inclining his head. "Have you all prepared for the journey?"

"Yes sir," Severus replied. "It shocked me that between the twins and their excitement, I managed to get any sort of packing done."

The twins gave the director a bashful look and giggled when he smiled at them. They thought it was funny to watch Daddy run about the house sweeping things into his arms like a great wind, blowing things this way and that.

But after having their fun, they would hurry upstairs to their room and quietly pack their things because it wouldn't do to have Daddy upset with them.

Mubarak himself was attired in a beige robe with a brown woven satchel thrown over his shoulder that looked full to bursting with materials. He had sturdy sandals upon his feet and several rings upon his fingers.

"Are we using a portkey to travel to Alexandria Director?" Severus asked as he helped Jasmina to her feet.

"No Severus, we are going to be travelling by means of a technique many of the ancient sorcerers used, but not many today know. It is called Shadow Walking."

At once the young Italian was intrigued. "How does it work?"

In answer to his question, the director closed his eyes and almost appeared to be anchoring himself to the ground. Then he opened his eyes and moved his hands in a horizontal line in a quick slashing motion as if he were cutting the air in two.

Just then, the fountain that was in the middle of the courtyard, which was already casting a shadow because of the morning light, seemed to lengthen the dark curtain about itself, turning even longer and more shaded.

Severus watched in astonishment as the shadow proceeded to lengthen until it was as tall as he was if he had been lying down.

Mubarak opened his eyes at that point and looked at the surprised looks on Severus and even Jasmina's faces as well as the astonished looks on the part of the twins.

"I have never heard of this method of travel before," Jasmina whispered. "Who is responsible for its origins?"

"It has a dual creator," Mubarak explained as they looked at the tall shadow. "The one responsible for this work is an ancestor of your mother's Miss Zaeem, a member of the House of Rasheed. He was the head of the branch of the family that decided to remain in Egypt after Alexandria fell to the Romans. That the House of Rasheed has been said to have been, "born with a blade in their hands." The branch that stayed in Egypt was particularly zealous about eradicating the Romans from their beautiful land and so they invented this battle spell that allowed them to travel by shadow, step into a man's shadow and emerge from another. It was a spell that slew legions of men. It does not operate under the parameters of portkey or apparition because it does not function the way either would. And if one were to be in a place and could not apparate out of it, due to the wards, this would be an acceptable alternative. One only has to have a shadow to travel from place to place."

"I wonder why my mother never mentioned this spell to me," Jasmina mused. "It seems as if it would be extremely useful."

"It is," the director replied. "However it is a taxing spell and one should only use it when they have reached an adequate degree of magical growth for it can drain the energy momentously from a novice. It is also a closely guarded secret."

"Do we simply walk into the shadow for it to work?" Severus asked.

"Yes, but we must all be connected."

To demonstrate, he took hold of Jasmina's hand who took hold of Henry's who took hold of Ria's which was followed up by their father.

"Is everyone ready?" Mubarak asked and when everyone nodded, he headed for the elongated shadow cast upon the stones behind the fountain.

The moment he stepped upon it, he vanished. Jasmina blinked in surprise but didn't stop and everyone followed her in a continuous form into the shadow where they all promptly disappeared.

The first sensation Severus had upon stepping into the shadow was of being surrounded suddenly in a pitch blackness. The next instant, he was freezing cold as if he had just stepped into one of Scotland's fierce snow storms. The only grounding he had to what was tangible was Ria's small hand holding his. He glanced down at his body and was astonished to see that it had taken on a grey misty hue, almost as if he had become a spirit.

When he looked up again, dozens of images were flashing before his eyes as if he were watching one of those old movies where no one talked and the moving pictures were all you could see.

After a second though, one image began to stand out from the rest and grew larger and larger until it appeared to dominate all the others and then with a burst of shadow and grey light, they appeared out in the open air again.

"Is everyone alright?" the director called.

Jasmina had knelt down and was rubbing the arms of the twins as they looked very cold and their teeth were chattering.

"Merlin, I'm not sure I liked that experience very much," Severus muttered as he turned to look around.

In the next instant, he blinked and forgot the cold and discomfort immediately.

They were standing on a rocky shore line in front of an enormous light house. It was one of the tallest standing structures that Severus had ever seen and seemed to reach to the heavens. It was completely made of toasted sandstone and at the very top had a circular glass window spanning the stone where one could look out at the sea beyond.

Severus then turned his gaze to the left and looked upon Alexandria for the first time.

Sitting on the shoreline, it appeared to be made of pure gold in the light with the way the sun was hitting it.

Severus could see over a dozen buildings lining the shoreline and all of them looked ancient but gleamed with the light of a strong magic.

He looked to the left and saw that where they were standing, the rocky island where the lighthouse was situated was in the middle of a bay and the land ahead curved like a wide U before them. On the farthest end of the U on the left, there was a magnificent temple which looked Greek in origin with the many pillars and the steps leading up to its entrance.

Severus remembered that Jasmina had told him that when Alexander the Great invaded Egypt, he brought many of his own people with him, who settled there, intermarried and began families of their own. The original temple had been much more ancient and more Egyptian looking, but because some of the priests were Greek, they erected the temple once more in the Greek style.

It had a vaulted roof that came down to rest atop the structure. The four walls had pillars lining the perimeter every few feet and the temple rested only a few feet back from the Mediterranean Sea.

Aside from the temple of Isis at Philae it was one of the most magnificent structures that Severus had ever seen.

The twins looked similarly impressed.

"We're going to stay in that?" Ria asked tugging on her father's sleeve.

"Yes," Mubarak replied smiling down at her. "Only a few of the priests actually live in the temple and there are many rooms where guests come to stay, seeking answers for their dreams."

Pharos lighthouse, as Jasmina said was its name, was connected by a small stone highway to the mainland and there appeared to be a chariot with harnessed horses waiting at the edge of this highway for them.

"I take it they're expecting us," Severus commented upon seeing the vehicle and Mubarak nodded.

"I made a connection with the chief priest a few days ago and they accepted our request to visit. We are to take the chariot to the main temple there. They will meet us at the steps."

"Come on Ria!" Henry called, pulling on his twins' hand as they raced for the chariots. "This'll be fun!"

"Wait for me!" the small brunette called racing after him.

Severus sighed, muttering curses under his breath about the insatiable energy of four year olds.

Jasmina laughed and took his hand and they followed after the director to the chariot.

"Don't worry Severus," she replied. "Their zest for life is unquenchable, but when they are older that energy will be put to good use."

The potion master sighed and threaded his fingers through hers. "I hope you're right."

They followed Mubarak to the chariot and after helping the twins aboard and hoping into it themselves, the director took hold of the reins and the five of them began to thunder down the narrow concrete straight to the city.

As the city of Alexandria flew toward them, Severus began to wonder if he had ever seen any place more beautiful than Egypt in his life.

The city was built right along the coast and each ancient building was made of the same golden toasted sandstone that the Temple of Isis was made out of. There were lush palm trees, and papyrus and lotus plants sitting along the edge of the beach.

"Are there any Muggles living here?" Severus called over the whistling wind.

"No," The director replied. "When Alexandria fell to the Romans in 31 B.C, and Augustus Caesar was declared ruler of the Egyptian world, most of the Muggles fled or were taken as slaves. The House of Rasheed remained unconquered however and when the Muggles left, they rebuilt it with magic and placed a ward of protection and secrecy around the place. To this day the Muggles still believe the city was destroyed and is nothing more than a deserted beach."

Jasmina was amazed at the lengths that the sorcerers had gone to in order to hide the city from unfriendly eyes. To deceive the whole world into thinking that a city that had once housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient was nothing more than a strip of beach was a truly herculean effort.

"That's incredible," Severus whispered beside her.

This was the first truly magical city he had ever been in, aside from Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley that was and those didn't really count as cities because they were so small.

"There are some wealthy magical families who have vacation homes here," The Director informed them as they neared the city, thundering down the concrete strait. "But as it is winter in Egypt, most will not be here."

Severus remembered that it was December now and back in England, everyone would be in a hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. For once he wasn't upset about missing out on the snow.

"Director, the temple where we will be staying," Jasmina asked. "Where is it?"

"Look there," Mubarak called and pointed toward the left side of the city.

The whole of Alexandria was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the buildings were only two or three stories, never one. All of them bordered on a cobblestoned highway which was several hundred yards wide so three chariots could pass side by side with a horse in between and they would not touch.

At the far end of the bay, Severus could now see the temple coming into clearer view than what he had been able to see when they were still at Pharos Light House. Now as it was coming into focus and they had entered the city, he was able to see all the details.

It appeared to have an Outer Courtyard just like the Institute, and there were two massive stone rectangles at the front carved with enormous hieroglyphs of the pharaohs and the gods. The Outer Courtyard was in a complete square and at the back of the temple, Severus could see the main stone building connected to the Outer Courtyard, where it would appear that the practices of the priests would take place. There was a very tall circular tower hundreds and hundreds of feet wide at the rear of it on the ledge that seemed to reach to the sky as well.

He couldn't see more than that at the moment, but he was sure it looked even more magnificent up close than it did at a distance.

"That is our destination," Mubarak called out above the rush of the wind as it roared past their faces.

It appeared that they were just about to enter a market place that reminded Severus of Diagon Alley what with all the shops and vendors calling out their wares. It was awash with color and vendors in long vivid robes lined the streets with their stalls.

There was a hustle and bustle in the air, and Severus could hear many languages being spoke. There was Arabic, Persian, Farsi even some African languages as well.

Mubarak slowed the chariot as the sheer volume of people in the street would have made driving at normal speeds dangerous.

There was an owl emporium but as they raced past, Severus could see that more of the animals in the store were falcons and hawks than owls.

There was even….and this caused him to do a double take…..a store specializing in flying materials. But they weren't selling brooms like he expected.

The merchants were selling carpets.

Jasmina noticed the look of absurd shock on his face and laughed. "Oh Severus, you didn't honestly expect us to ride brooms did you? Do you know how uncomfortable sitting on a piece of wood for long hours in order to place Quidditch is? A carpet is much safer, guarantees that there is an unlikelier chance that you will fall off and is a more luxurious way to fly."

"I was never much into riding a broom when I was at school in the first place," Severus called back. "But I would be perfectly willing to try a magic carpet."

Of course upon hearing the words magic carpet, the twins wanted to stop and look but their father told them that they had a schedule to keep and maybe sometime during their visit they could look in on the shop. Severus knew he was itching to try flying on a magic carpet.

The sounds of children laughing and the smell of food on an open flame cooking made Severus's stomach growl. He hadn't eaten since the night before and he was starving. The vendors had colorful tents set up and Severus could see all manner of merchandise being sold. There were fruits and vegetables, nuts, spices, and jewellery as well as colorful dyed cloths and clothing vendors.

There was even a vendor selling chickens, sheep and goats and Jasmina explained that some families in Alexandria still offered sacrifices to the ancient gods, but most simply had them for food.

Severus could see a lot of high born people in the market by their manner of dress and he asked Jasmina if the wealthy Egyptians of the magical society had servants that they sent to the market. He remembered in England that the wealthy often sent their house elves on errands for them.

"We do," she replied. "But they would not be what you or I would call slaves. They are not like the house elves of Europe but they are bound to a family by magic. They are called Pygmines."

She pointed to a small individual who was busy haggling with a merchant over the price of a melon.

It was only about two feet high with dark skin. It looked just like a human except for the cat like yellow eyes. It also had odd talons on its fingers and toes that looked feline in origin. Its hair was sticking up about its face and was very messy and when it moved, it prowled instead of strolled. It was dressed in the same brown tunic of the house slaves in ancient times. Despite its size though, the claws and eyes made it look fierce.

Severus had a feeling that these little creatures were not to be under estimated.

Jasmina noticed his curiosity and hurried to explain.

"It is said that long ago, the deity Bastet, the goddess of cats, seduced a Nubian prince of a lesser house of Egypt and their race of children that came after were the Pygmines…half man and half cat.

"Cats are revered in Egypt and were wonderful companions, so the Pygmines, while they are bound with ancient magic to the house that they serve, cannot be mistreated by the master and mistress of that house. It would bring irrevocable shame on that family and they would be cast out from modern society. It is a magically binding ancient law."

_We could use some of those laws for the house elves in England, _Severus thought grimly.

While there were some houses in Britain who respected the house elves, there were more like the Blacks and the Notts that didn't care and would execute their house elves if they considered their service poor.

It was an abominable practice that Severus was appalled to learn that the Prince family had been a part of several hundred years ago.

"Do the Pygmines have magic too?" he asked to distract himself.

"Yes, but it is different than what you or I as a sorcerer and sorceress would be able to do. Because their ancestor was the goddess of cats, they can appear in two forms, feline and human. Whilst in the cat form, they retain the intelligence and understanding of a human, though they cannot speak as we would. While in the human form, they retain their cat like features, such as their eyes and claws as well as the instincts of a cat. They can move far faster than we can and hear for great distances in human form."

"That's incredible," Severus whispered and the youngest Zaeem nodded.

"They cannot apparate as we can, but they have a different form of travel called Pouncing."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they can travel for great distances with a single bound. Cats move faster than we can so in a sense, it's like they stretch time when they jump. So they are still fully visible to us when they Pounce, but to them it will be as if they jump and the place they wish to go to will rush up to meet them. To us it will appear as if they are racing over boundaries at high speeds."

"Do your family employ Pygmines?" Severus asked curiously.

"We do, but because of the tool I have just mentioned, you rarely ever see them as they are so fast. They eat both human and animal food and are comfortable in both forms. Because our family is so large, we have no less than two dozen."

Severus turned around in the chariot and watched as the lone Pygmine, appearing as if it had won the fight for the melon, turned and caught sight of him. It smiled at him, revealing two rows of sharp cat like teeth.

The twins giggled and waved at it before the half cat was lost in the crowd of market goers that the newcomers were slowly travelling through.

Severus made a silent promise to himself that he would go back to the market at least once before leaving. There were so many sights and sounds and smells to explore that it would take at least a day to see everything.

Mubarak had told him that it wasn't as easy to travel to Alexandria as it would be any other city in Egypt. This was because one had to be invited to the city by the priests of Serapis. The temple or the Serapion as it was called by the natives held dominion over the city because of their immense power.

Soon they had left the marketplace and the city entirely and had begun travelling uphill slightly into the more lush landscapes. Because Alexandria was by the sea, they got more rain than the rest of Egypt and so the plants and trees were more fertile.

The paved and cobblestoned road was still before them, but now they were travelling through a more forested area. There were tall palms and lush shrubs on either side of the road and just a few feet to the left of the cobblestoned road was a drop in ground where one would take a tumble onto the sand of the beach.

The land wasn't mountainous but it was far more lush and hilly than in the desert where the Institute was.

The Serapion was located on one of the lush green hillsides overlooking the sea on the winding road.

Mubarak directed the chariot around the winding cobblestoned road that rose up into the hills that was more above sea level than the city of Alexandria was.

Finally, they turned one more corner and came within sight of the temple and Severus felt his jaw slacken. He faintly heard the twins gasp in delight.

In the sunlight, it looked golden and he could see that there was a projection of stone and sandstone that had built up over thousands of years, structured into the slope of the hill above the beach. The Serapion was resting upon this overhang.

As they neared it, Severus could see that he was right and there was an Outer Courtyard surrounded by several layers of pillars. The overhang in which the temple was sitting was massive and as he drew closer, he saw that there was an enormous stone structure that resembled the leaning Tower of Piza with none of the lean in back of it. It was a tall tower that was thousands of feet high and completely smooth.

"What in Merlin's name is that?" he asked pointing at it.

"That is the great library of Alexandria Severus," the director replied as he guided the horses. "The Muggles believed it was destroyed when the Romans invaded, but the priests of the Serapion received forewarning and hid the library with a spell so powerful that none alive now remember it."

After hearing about how the whole of Alexandria was disguised with magic, Severus didn't think it that impossible to conceive.

"There are manuscripts here that are over three thousand years old," Jasmina whispered in awe. "I have wanted for so long just to simply look at one, but it wasn't possible at the time."

"And now it is Miss Zaeem," the director said heartily. "We have arrived. Make use of this time while you can, because it is unlikely we shall return to this city for some lengths to come."

As they pulled up in front of the temple, there was a small courtyard that the chariot was able to pull into and was lined with palm and lotus and papyrus plants. There were steps leading up to the part of the temple that was lined with pillars and as Mubarak pulled the chariot to a stop, Severus could see that there was a tall man in a black robe waiting for them atop it.

"Who is that?" Henry said turning to their father.

"That is the Chief Priest Ramose Urhiya," the director replied quietly. "He is an old friend of mine and oversees the work of the Serapion. He is somewhat older than I am and is a traditional man, so simply do as I do, and there will not be any problems."

There wasn't time for more discussion as just then, the chariot came to a stop by the steps of the temple and Mubarak gestured for them to dismount.

Severus stepped down from the chariot and then took the arms of the twins and placed them down.

Once they had done so, they turned to meet the priest who in the space of time it had taken to pull the vehicle to a stop, was now on the last step waiting for them.

Like the rest of them, Ramose was attired in a long robe that was clasped by bronze fasteners at his shoulder, except his raiment was black. There were odd markings covering his arms and even his neck, hieroglyphs that Severus had never seen before, done in varying shades of black and gold. His eyes were a very light brown, almost beige color.

What was most surprising about him though was that despite a long dark beard, his entire head was shaved. Although with the intense heat, Severus couldn't find it that hard to understand.

Mubarak stepped forward and Ramose did the same. At the same time they bowed low to each other.

Now knowing what was expected of him socially Severus felt relieved.

When the director stepped to the side, Severus wasted no time in stepping forward and bowing low. From the silence emitting from the chief priest, he was pretty sure he hadn't broken any social codes.

What surprised him in that moment was that his hand, the one in which he had been marked which he had folded behind him, was suddenly brought forward by the hand of Urhiya and turned over so that the marking faced upward.

Severus nearly jerked upwards in surprise, but remembered himself at the last minute and stopped. What he did do however, was look up at the chief priest as he did so. But the man's eyes gave away nothing as he merely inclined his head and then released Severus's hand after looking intently at it.

Severus then got up and moved to the side to stand by Mubarak.

Jasmina followed him and did the same.

Severus noticed that while Urhiya inclined his head to her, he did not bow like he had done for the director.

_He is the sort of man whose respect must be earned, _Severus realized.

It made sense that Mubarak would merit a bow in return as the two had known each other for many long years.

Finally, the twins came last, holding hands as they always did when they were unsure of a situation. It had always been better for them to stick together.

They bowed too and Severus was torn between being worried that something would go wrong and affection as they just looked so adorable standing there in their Institute regulated tunics of white linen with the golden chains hanging from their necks.

What happened next surprised him.

The Chief Priest stepped forward and in reaching out both hands he raised the chins of both the twins so he could look them in the eyes.

Severus held his breath for a moment and then let it out in a silent exhalation of relief when Urhiya let his hands drop.

The twins looked so relieved, as if they had just passed an important test in school and scurried over to their father to stand in front of him.

Severus placed his hands on their shoulders, feeling an immense sense of pride in the both of them.

Finally, the Chief Priest spoke.

"Welcome to Alexandria," he said and Severus blinked as his voice was not what he had been expecting. Instead of being low and sandy as Mubarak's voice was, Urhiya's voice reminded him of the slow sound of the tide coming in.

There was almost a low rumbling roar to it that would automatically garner the attention of everyone in a room if he were talking.

"I trust that the journey was pleasant," he said and the Director nodded.

"I can attest my old friend that Shadow Walking is as pleasant as it has always been."

Urhiya cracked a tiny smile upon hearing the words. "The House of Rasheed was never famous for their…..comfortable magics, you understand."

Jasmina hid a smile behind her hand as she realized how true that was and reached down to take Ria's hand as Henry had already claimed his father's.

"Come," Urhiya said and turned back to the steps of the Serapion. "I will make you known to this great temple of ours. A servant will then show you to your rooms where you may refresh yourselves."

Without waiting to see if they were following, he turned and began to mount the steps, the director walking beside him and the two of them talking quietly.

Severus and Jasmina exchanged glances and then hurried after them, holding the hands of the twins.

Ω

Severus was losing count of the times he had been amazed since he came to Egypt.

Once the small group had made it through the first layer of pillars into the Outer Courtyard, he was surprised again.

Through the pillars there was a perfect view of the ocean. It was something Severus found he could spend hours looking at and was a million times better than the beach in Sicily. The breeze was surprisingly gentle despite the fact that the tower that was the library was the only thing blocking them from it and Severus felt an odd sense of peace.

As soon as they entered the Outer Courtyard however, Severus peaceful state changed to one of absurd surprise.

It appeared that there was a class in session or something like that as there were neat rows of about a dozen priests in each row that was four rows deep. They were in deep red robes and every one of them was lying down. Every single one of them had a strange golden circlet on their heads and while some of them had shaved heads, not all did. There was a strange hieroglyph on the front of the circlet and Severus wondered for a moment what it meant.

There seemed to be another priest orchestrating the…..class he supposed it was and he was walking up and down between the rows. What was so astonishing about it though, was the fact that he had a bowl in his hand and when he kneeled down by the head of each of the lesser priests, he would place his index fingers on either side of their temples and murmur something in an unfamiliar language. When he did so, his would bring his hands back and suddenly a colorful sphere of light with flashing imagery would appear between his hands, and then he would place it in the bronze bowl where it would disappear.

_He's removing the dreams of the priests! _Severus realized in complete astonishment.

He had never seen something like this done before and to see it happening now was mind boggling. Even Mubarak looked somewhat impressed.

"You are still full of surprises my old friend," he said to Urhiya as they walked along the outskirts of the Outer Courtyard.

"The older I get more prone I am to dissect was has been done before and question what is obvious," the chief priest said cryptically. "Why should be not be able to look into the dreams of other whilst such lucidities are still present in their minds?"

_Why not indeed? _Severus thought.

After standing and observing the session for a few more moment, Urhiya led the five of them into the main portion of the Serapion which stood in back of the Outer Courtyard and more fully on the enormous ledge overlooking the ocean.

Here along the long hallways that were held up by a series of pillars, there were smaller rooms, called dreaming rooms.

It was a little cliche, but some were devoted for the uses of dream interpretation, some were used to make dreams come to life from the memory of a person's mind so all could see them and some of them were even used to plant an dream or thought into a person's mind.

_Inception, _Severus marveled to himself. _That's ingenious. _

After that, they were shown to their rooms. Severus, Jasmina and the twins, all had rooms that were connected by doors so they could enter either of the rooms of the adults if they needed to. Mubarak was staying elsewhere in the temple.

The rooms had a curtain which covered it from a balcony which overlooked the ocean and the city beyond and had hanging plants from the railings.

The beds reminded Severus more of a loveseat as there was a high back and a low front with spiraled armrest with comfortable pillows where one could place their head and feet. There were large potted plants and burning bronze braziers in every corner of the room. There were a few stone pillars holding up the ceiling scattered throughout, and there was a spicy sweet scent in the air. It was the epitome of exotic.

Jasmina's room had the same set up as well as the twins excluding the fact that their bed was slightly bigger.

"Will these be acceptable?" Urhiya asked.

Severus was tempted to make some quip about them being perfectly king like but because of the solemn nature of the temple, he thought it wise to keep his mouth shut.

Urhiya promised to give them a tour of the rest of the temple later, but they were free to look around if they desired it.

He and the director disappeared around the corner and Severus set their bags down with a sigh of relief. It would be good to freshen up and relax before doing anything.

Of course going to the beach was the first thing on the twins' mind. Severus would have sworn they were born part fish.

"Before anyone goes to the beach," he said cutting off their entreaties. "You need to unpack first and see to it that you've put on proper clothes. We're here for a reason and we will behave like the polite guests we should be. Is that clear?"

The twins nodded solemnly. He could see the shine behind their somber expressions and knew they were dying to explore.

After they had hurried off, he turned to Jasmina who was trying hard not to smile. "What?"

"That speech was as much for yourself as it was for them wasn't it?" she said chuckling. "You are just as eager to explore as they are."

"That I am," he said smiling at her gently. "But I at least have my priorities in order. Come, why don't you unpack too and I'll do the same. Then we can go to the beach. I have a feeling we're going to need some relaxation before the reason for our visit swims into focus."

Ω

As the small family partook in one of their favorites pastimes down on the sandy shore, they were unaware that two sets of steady eyes were watching them carefully from high up on the terrace steps of the Serapion.

"You were right to come to me with this," Urhiya observed in his solemn voice from where he and Mubarak stood. "Think you that the end of days has come?"

"Who can say when such a time as the stars rain down from the heavens will occur?" Mubarak asked. "I myself believe that time will be long in the future and I will not live to see it."

"Optimism my old friend?"

"Nay, truth. The fortunes of this world will rise and fall as surely as the sands are tossed by the winds on the desert. We have only to endure them. Time Ramose, it is something that has been and always will be for those who inhabit the earth. We should know this best of all."

"And yet you have come to me seeking direction on the dreams of those who you believe will play a role," Ramose said as they continued to gaze down on the group of four.

The two children were frolicking in the surf and the father was walking hand in hand with the Zaeem woman.

"Tell me of them," Urhiya said as they stood on the edge.

"Severus Snape is by far one of the most talented pupils to ever be accepted into the Institute," Mubarak said. "I have never told him thus, but he is one of the very few international apprentices that we do accept. The fact that he is a young father raising two children virtually alone is a credit to his character."

"And Miss Zaeem?"

"I am sure that there will be a time coming when she is a more…..permanent part of the picture," Mubarak replayed. "But for now, it would seem that their relationship is what you see in front of you."

"And the children?"

"Henricus and Ilaria are bright individuals. Along with their father, they are the only non-Egyptian children we have accepted into our primary program this year."

"Your standards remain nearly unattainable my friend," Urhiya replied with a smirk. "And what has this to do with the dreams the children and their father have been having?"

They turned away from the scene and walked back towards the temple in mirror positions of the other with both hands crossed behind their backs.

Mubarak, with Zafeer's permission had told Ramose of the prophecy that Rahotep had made if what would happen if it were to come to fruition. He had then explained how to they had gone to Giza to wrest information from the Children of Anubis and returned instead with information on a man who was two thousand years old, insanely powerful and had an insatiable desire to bring his master back from oblivion so he could destroy the whole world.

He then told Ramose about the prophecy concerning the twins back in England and the dreams they had been having as well as the one that Severus had had the night after they returned from Giza.

"This family seems either blessed with foresight, or cursed with inordinate knowledge," Urhiya observed and Mubarak was inclined to agree.

"Life did maintain a consistent degree of normalcy before they stepped through the doors of the Institute."

"And now you wish for me to do what exactly?"

"There was a legend long ago at the time of Cleopatra's reign. Fathered by Marc Antony she birthed two children as well, twins you recall."

"I do."

"They were Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene. The sun and moon they were fondly called. Antony was a Muggle but Cleopatra's Ptolemaic line had intermarried with the Rasheeds a few generations before and thus Helios and Selene were the first magical fraternal twins born."

"I do recall this of course, but I am losing the point you are trying to make," Urhiya said curiously.

Mubarak lowered his voice even further so Urhiya had to step closer in order to hear him above the wind and the crashing waves far below.

"Helios and Selene were the first magical twins in existence and so their connection was very…..unique. They could read the mind of the other, send the images of things along their mental connection and there were even rumors that they could step inside each other's minds and experience life from the other's point of view. If only for a short time."

"And somehow this is connected to Master Andronicus's twins?" Urhiya said, and suddenly it became clear, and he raised an eyebrow at Mubarak.

"You believe this is the situation with them as well? And if this is in fact true, that would make their situation all the more…..delicate."

"I am unsure of what to think. You know that magical fraternal twins are exceedingly rare even in our ancient culture. To tie into that, there is still the matter of their history in England, you are aware of this self-styled Lord Voldemort yes?"

"I am. Rest assured I have nothing but contempt and condescension for this new age fool who considers himself the most powerful magical to have ever lived," Urhiya replied and he sounded distinctly annoyed, which was good.

During the past, the priests of the Serapion had kept themselves aloof from any sort of armed conflict as they felt it didn't concern them. They spent most of their time in a dream like state, analyzing the will of the gods and so in a sense, felt like human conflicts were beneath them.

They were a proud people but Mubarak certainly understood that. He was almost three centuries and was very proud of his heritage. The foolish wizards and witches of Europe claimed to be the most cultured and the most civilized with the greatest history of magic to go off of because of their precious Founders.

The Founders be damned, Egypt had the gods.

Which was why Urhiya and the rest of the priests at the Serapion regarded the rest of Europe, England and France especially with a great deal of disdain. They were exceedingly self righteous and hypocritical and all of the Ministers of Magic they had had in the last decade were in competent.

Mubarak had no end of contempt for the British Ministry of Magic and that crack pot old fool Albus Dumbledore.

Zafeer shared his sentiments and so to it seemed, did Urhiya.

Urhiya could be a very pious and holy man and viewed the gods and their history with great deference.

It was cause for him to be suspicious of this British upstart who was the epitome of narcissism and delusions of grandeur when he came after two innocent children.

Thus Mubarak knew this was something he would take a personal interest in.

They turned and walked away from the edge of the ledge that the Serapion sat on and back towards the tall tower that was the library.

"The past is a unique entity my friend," Urhiya said quietly. "Yes, Helios and Selene were the first magical twins born in existence and because they were royalty it made them completely dangerous. That is why when Alexandria fell they were sent to Rome to live among Muggles in the hopes that their gifts would be suppressed. But when that didn't happen, Caesar had Helios assassinated because he believed he posed the greatest threat and married Selene off to Juba of Mauritania."

The point of all of this is, the existence of magical twins means the coming of great and terrible things and if they are having shared dreams, this could mean dark days for the future of Egypt if they are tied up in a prophecy that could affect the entire world if Seth returns."

They reached the entry way to the library which was joined to the temple through an open stone corridor that was heated with magic, and Urhiya waved his hand slowly in a half circle gesture above the archway leading into it.

A bronze light emitted from his palm and then there was a rumbling sound as the stone door was rolled back and both men were allowed access to the library.

The library of Alexandria, though not one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was still a wonder in its own right no less.

It was a circular tower and every space of wall was covered in cubby holes where the scrolls were stored. It was a few thousand feet high and there was a skylight at the very top where one could see out into the open air.

The floors were marble and there was a large fireplace directly opposite the doorway before which was placed a thick Persian rug complete with golden tassels as well as several throw pillows and mats so that those who came there to read could do so in comfort.

The light of the afternoon sun was shining down upon them and its warm glow lit and warmed the otherwise cold marble floor.

Mubarak had only seen it a few times, but it never ceased to amaze him.

"There is a particular scroll here about Helios and Selene and why the Caesar had him assassinated as a young man before he even reached his majority," Urhiya said. "It may begin to tell us why some in past feared the existence of magical fraternal twins."

He strode to the wall by the doorway and tapped the brick three times before there was a sound like the chiming of bells and all of a sudden a marble platform appeared beneath his feet.

"The oldest manuscripts are at the top," he said, and then called out the word _up, _in Arabic and all of a sudden, he was zooming upward to the very top of the circular rows of shelves in the library.

As soon as he reached the top row a peculiar bridge emerged from the cracks of stone between the shelves of the books and extended all the way around in a circle so Urhiya could walk along the outside of the top row to find the book that he needed.

"My inquiry is…..is it possible that Henricus and Ilaria share the same connection that Helios and Selene did? I would not have brought this to your attention if I didn't think it were possible. One of the factors that prompted me to this line of thinking was the fact that the dream they shared was of an event and prophecy they had never been told of that only a few knew," Mubarak called up to the Chief Priest.

"This research will determine that my friend," he replied and then suddenly selected a particular scroll from the wall.

He called out the word _down, _in Arabic and then was zooming back to the floor with the papyrus under his arm.

When he reached the floor again, the two men strode over to the palm writing desk where Urhiya spread out the papyrus on the surface ad they instantly became engaged in a detailed history of Helios and Selene.

The truth was, they learned that the Romans lived in great fear of magic and because the Egyptian were so prolific in the discipline unlike the rest of the conquered Roman world, they were seen as a threat and needed to be dealt with.

Helios and Selene were taken hostage before they reached the age of full majority and their magic became all the more potent.

As they grew older however, the Caesar feared that Helios, a good looking, intelligent and powerful young man would gain ask to return to his homeland and gain the sympathy of the people there, rallying them against Rome. And the Caesar knew that they would not withstand a magical attack if the House of Rasheed was leading the charge.

And so he had had Helios executed, but remained content to let Selene live, thinking as a woman she wouldn't have as much pull as her brother.

He was wrong.

When Selene was married to Juba, she produced magical children of her own as well and a few hundred years later, they brought about the fall of the Roman Empire.

"In conclusion," Urhiya said slowly as they came to the end of the page, "We may surmise that the birth of fraternal magical twins brought about fear because of the unique abilities shared. It now makes sense why this self-styled Dark Lord had his eyes upon them from their birth."

"And so it is possible to conclude that Henricus and Ilaria may share such a bond as Helios and Selene did?"

Urhiya paused and Mubarak could tell he was thinking very carefully. "The only way to know for certain is to induce their dreams," he said finally. "Would their father be willing to allow them to undertake it? They are young after all."

Mubarak glanced down at the scroll and recalled the young apprentice who was one of the most gifted he had ever met.

"Severus Andronicus is one of the most talented and gifted potions students to walk through the doors of the Institute in the last thousand years perhaps. Yet I have a feeling he is more entangled in this web of the ancients than we know."

"You speak of the mark on his hand," Urhiya said as he remembered the insignia himself when he had turned the apprentices hand over upon meeting him.

Mubarak looked at him sideways. "What do you think it means?"

Urhiya was silent for a long time and the both of them stared through the sky up at the skylight which was beginning to look grey and stormy.

"Three is a lucky number in our mythology my friend. And the gods have not been seen in thousands of years, the fact that they may be stirring now is highly significant. And if Thoth has chosen to reveal himself to your apprentice, than the ramifications of that are….severe."

"Meaning?"

Urhiya finally turned and looked at his old friend. "Meaning that the god of wisdom has words that he would say to us. We must listen to him."

Ω

"So what do you think of Alexandria?" Severus asked Jasmina as they strolled along hand in hand behind the twins who were dashing in and out of the waves as fast as they could and squealing with laughter.

"This city was once the jewel of Egypt in ancient times," she replied. "I longed to see it when it was in its former glory. And now that I have, I can say that it is comparable to my home."

"High praise," Severus said putting an arm around her shoulders.

It was in that moment, as they were standing on the shore with the waves of the Mediterranean pounding the sand and the call of sea gulls high above, that Severus began to realize how lucky he was, and how he would have dreamed of things like this a decade earlier when he felt he was at his lowest possible point after he and Lily had had their falling out.

He wished his sixteen year old self could see what he had become and who he was with then. He was just glad he hadn't given up entirely.

"I think I would like to go back to the market before we leave," he said thoughtfully. "There are a few things I want to have a look at."

She looked at him curiously. "Alright, the children would love it too."

They continued walking along the beach in silence but Severus found that he didn't mind. Aside from the sounds of waves and the rumble of thunder off in the distance on the greying horizon, it was entirely peaceful.

The thunder however served as a reminder that no matter how perfect his life was right now, there was a storm coming that would test it. Voldemort would make a return sooner or later and all of his Horcruxes had to be found and destroyed before he could regain his strength and then come after the twins like he had sworn he would do. And then there was the whole prophecy regarding Seth.

Severus didn't even want to think about that.

It was just so big and so hard to comprehend because they weren't talking about wizards anymore. These were gods and ancient powers and terrifying prophecies that carried connotations through the ages that Severus didn't even know the meaning to.

Everything seemed poised to spiral out of control and Severus felt as if he were standing in the eyes of a storm waiting for it to happen.

But there were happy things too.

His two children, the woman beside him, his family, the Institute. They were all things he never would have had if he decided against coming to Egypt for the sake of the twins. And now he couldn't imagine his life any other way.

"So what do you know of this Ramose Urhiya?" he asked quietly.

Jasmina pursed her lips. "My mother and father spoke of him in whispers when I was young. I remember them saying the man walked in dreams more than he walked in reality. And I never understood what that meant, but now it makes sense. If anyone can tell us what the twins' shared dream means, it would be him and what Thoth was trying to tell you," she said taking his hand and turning it over.

The symbol of Thoth had not diminished with time. The burn around it had faded but the mark was still there as plain as day as if Severus had simply been gripping the symbol for a long time and the impression was permanently pressed into this skin.

"Jasmina…do you believe the gods will return if this knowledge of Seth becomes more evident?" he asked.

"I do," she said without any hesitation. "As a child I always wondered whether or not if it was really true and we were in fact descended from Isis, but knowing what I do now about our history…..it's hard not to think of it as truth."

"I understand as humans evolved more and more, we began to depend on spirituality less and less," Severus mused. "And so the gods retreated. But where did they retreat too?"

"That my dear Severus," Jasmina said smiling. "Seems to be the question of the hour. However, I'm more concerned with when and where they will be coming back to."

He was about to answer her, when all of a sudden, an attendant in a beige robe, his head shaved and sandals upon his feet came hurrying from the opposite end of the beach.

When he reached them, he stopped and bowed low as if they were royalty. "Master Andronicus, Mistress Zaeem. The chief priest requests your presence."

Severus raised an eyebrow but Jasmina nodded as if this was a normal every day thing and called to the children to come follow them as they were going back to the Serapion.

"What do you think he wants to see us about?" Severus asked as they followed the attendant back up the beach toward the ramp they had come down earlier.

"Well, I do think we're about to find out."

Ω

"Alright, if you wouldn't mind sir, could you explain this to me one more time?"

"Certainly Master Andronicus."

Severus certainly had to hand it to these Egyptians…..they had the patience of the gods.

After he, Jasmina and the twins had gotten back to the temple, Jasmina had taken the twins to their room so they could play and to Severus's surprise, Urhiya asked if he could speak to him privately about how they were going to proceed.

They were currently walking around the outer terrace of the Serapion and Severus was trying his best to comprehend what the Chief Priest was saying.

"The most accurate way we have to determine the source of the shared dream between Henricus and Ilaria is to put them through what is called Dream Induction. What this does is put them to sleep and then, we will undertake the method you chanced upon when you first arrived here."

"And then you will remove the dreams?" Severus asked still a little unclear.

"Indeed," the priest replied. "In that manner, we will all be able to see the dream for ourselves and if there is a connection between them."

"And what of this?" Severus asked holding up his hand which was still bearing the mark of Thoth.

"That is somewhat more complex," Urhiya said after a moment of contemplative silence. "Because this appears to be the workings of a god, it would appear that he is the one who wishes to speak to you. We can induce your dream again, but it will be his choice if he speaks to you."

_Sort of like making a phone call and getting the answering machine, _Severus thought grimly to himself.

"So in a sense, there's a fifty fifty chance that he will answer, or that I could be left hanging," Severus surmised.

"In the vernacular."

They walked in silence for a few minutes more.

"You do induce the twins' dreams," Severus ventured. "When will it be?"

"That would depend upon you," Urhiya said looking at him sideways. "It can be right, tonight or tomorrow. You are their father and you are the speaker for them at this age. The decision rests with you."

Severus thought for a moment. "I suppose tonight would be adequate enough," he said finally. "I would like some time to explain to them what is going to happen."

"Excellent," Urhiya said. "We will need some time to prepare as well. I trust that you will inform them accordingly."

He inclined his head to the potions apprentice and strode back into the temple leaving the young man alone.

_He doesn't really seem to be the person who likes to talk about anything without getting to the point first,_ Severus observed as he looked at the place where the man had been a few seconds earlier.

He turned away and leaned against the railing looking down into the beach and the ocean beyond.

The twins would have their dreams induced tonight and he would be able to watch the Chief Priest remove the dreams literally from their minds and watch it play out before him like it was a picture back home.

He tried not to think about how weird that sounded.

But as much as he wanted to focus on the things that concerned the twins, he was also somewhat more concerned with the dream that he had. A god was trying to tell him something and it seemed pretty important if the permanent mark in his hand was any indication.

He needed to get in touch with Emilia and Tony.

More importantly he needed to go back to the marketplace and look at the vendor that sold the unique pieces of jewellery…

He wondered what Jasmina's favorite color was…

_Slow down, _the voice of reason in his head said. _You've got a lot going on right now, and getting her jewellery is going to make your life even more complicated than it already is. You're a single father of twins, tangled in two prophecies about a dark lord in England and a vengeful god in Egypt. You're having dreams that should qualify you for the nuthouse and the last thing you need to be thinking about is proposing…._

The thought line trailed off without reaching a completion…..thank goodness.

It had only been two months after all.

But then he wasn't an awkward teenager anymore. Jasmina was the best thing that had ever happened to him and the twins and they already saw her as their mother…..

It seemed the whole afternoon was filled with unfinished thoughts.

_First and foremost, _the voice of reason said again. _You need to deal with your dream and the twins dream. Then you can worry about this vacation of sorts and finding a ring. Just don't rush into this. It's only been two months after all and you've barely been in Egypt for six. You're still a Slytherin at heart, use your cunning, it's still there._

Severus nodded to himself, took a deep breath and hurried back to their rooms to explain to the twins what was going to happen this evening.

Ω

It actually wasn't as hard as he thought and Jasmina was there to fill in the gaps when he attempted to explain something that still didn't make a lot of sense to him.

They were sitting in the rooms they were staying in on the twins' bed. The curtains were gently blowing with the sea breeze from the stone terrace that was just outside of their rooms. The waves were crashing on the shore and all was peaceful.

"So all we have to do is go to sleep?" Henry asked.

"That's all sweetheart," Jasmina said gently stroking his hair. "All you need to do is lie down and close your eyes. We'll do the rest."

"Will it hurt?" Ria asked wide eyed.

"Not at all," Severus replied quickly. "Dreams don't hurt remember?"

The twins exchanged glances, doing that speaking to each other where no one else could hear thing.

"Okay," they said together.

"Come on then," Jasmina said to them. "Why don't we go have a look around before we have to go back to the temple?"

Ria eagerly jumped off the bed and followed her favorite teacher out of the room but Henry still sat on the bed. He kept swinging in his feet back and forth and twisting his hands together.

"Son?" Severus asked raising an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

The little boy nodded but Severus could clearly see that something was on his mind.

"What is it?" he asked.

Henry remained quiet for another moment before he seemed to take a deep breath and looked up at his father.

"Its just…..are you going to marry Miss Mina?"

Severus nearly choked on the sip of water he had taken. "What?"

Henry looked a little uncomfortable. "It's just…..all my friends at school have Mummies. They tell me and Ria about them. They don't see them very often, but they still have them. Me and Ria….we don't have a Mummy like they do. I want Miss Mina to be our Mummy."

Severus was speechless. It was as if his son had read his mind. In truth Jasmina was the only one he could think of that would even be an ideal mother figure for the twins. The only maternal figure they had had in their life up until that point had been Emilia and they didn't see her as often as they used to.

"You do?" he asked the little boy softly.

He nodded. "Me and Ria talked about it. You don't like to talk about our real Mama and that's okay. But we want Miss Mina to be our Mama."

Severus was left blinking for several moments as he contemplated what his son had just said. The little boy must have read his mind.

"Well Henry," he said slowly. "With time….you might just get your wish."

The little boy's eyes lit up and he jumped off the bed and gave his father a great big hug.

"You're the best daddy ever!" he exclaimed and then hurried out of the room to find his sister and Jasmina.

Severus buried his face in his hands and let out a gusty exhalation.

He was beginning to realize that this was the confirmation that he was waiting for. He had been so afraid of what the twins would think if he asked Jasmina to marry him. He had never told them a thing about Lily because they really weren't old enough.

But now he realized that since he had met Jasmina, it had stopped hurting so much…..until that point a few weeks ago on the beach when it hadn't hurt at all.

He was ready to move on…..so it seemed, were they.

The thought was put out of Severus's mind for the time being and the hours passed quickly until the time came before he brought the twins before Urhiya.

Finally, when twilight began to fall and the moon on the ocean came out in full force, Severus and Jasmina, holding the twins by the hand, marched back to the temple for the ceremony of the Induction of Dreams.

They were a little nervous he could tell and he agreed with them. Urhiya was nothing like Mubarak. He was powerful, but very intimidating. Seeing as how Mubarak was one of Severus's mentors, there was a tad amount of bias there, but Urhiya struck him as a man who played with his cards very close to his chest.

He was a man of questionable motives…..that's what it was.

Its not that Severus thought he was a bad man, it's just…he was grey. Someone who opted out of fighting for personal motives or gain.

But knowing Urhiya, it probably had something to do with spiritual reasons as the man seemed bred from the divine.

Severus wondered privately as they stepped into the main area of the temple, the space between the terraces that was rimmed with pillars, if Urhiya had had any encounters with the gods throughout his life time.

The moon was out in full force and since there was a large open skylight in the ceiling of the temple, its light was shining down on them full force.

The inner area of the temple reminded Severus of an empty swimming pool as there were two steps leading down into the lower part.

What did surprise him though was the fact that all of the priests were sitting in neat rows like they had been earlier that day. They didn't look up when Severus, Jasmina and the twins walked down the long row past them toward where Urhiya and Mubarak were standing at the front.

There candles lit in large bronze bowls throughout the temple area and the scent of incense was heavy on the air.

_Is all of this really necessary? _Severus thought looking around.

Jasmina must have read his mind because she leaned over and whispered, "It's to create an atmosphere of dreams, Severus. The more relaxed the twins feel, the more likely it is for them to be able to dream and hence for us to see what they are dreaming."

There wasn't time for her to say any more as by that time they had reached the front of the temple and were standing before Urhiya and Mubarak.

There were two golden mats placed before both men and Severus could immediately sense that there was some type of spell placed upon them because the moment he glanced in their direction he felt drowsy.

He could tell from the rosy cheeks and slow breathing of the twins that they were on their way to sleep too.

_That must be why this ritual is always performed at night, _Severus realized. _It's easier to dream that way and there are many thousands of stories of the nights being more magical than the days._

Urhiya held out a hand wordlessly to the twins and when their father gave his consent, they hesitantly stepped forward and took the hand of the Chief Priest.

Instantly a golden light emitted from the connection and the lesser priests began to sing.

It was a long haunting melody that spoke of bygone ages and golden sands first being formed. It was slow and melodic, almost like a lullaby.

Immediately the twin's moderately drowsy state intensified.

"Lay them on the mats," Urhiya said quietly.

Severus and Jasmina hurried to do as he asked and then knelt down by each twin, gently taking their hands. As soon as their heads touched the fibres of the golden mats, their eyes closed and their breathing evened out into a steady rhythm from the rise and fall of their chests.

"When will the procedure begin?" Severus asked quietly.

"At this very moment, Master Andronicus," Urhiya replied and at that moment, the sound of the song became louder.

As one, the lesser priests rose from their mats and slowly walked to form a wide circle around the whole of the Outer Courtyard. The singing carried on in a steady tone and Severus began to feel for a moment that he was at a séance.

And then Urhiya began to speak in a low deep voice, quite unlike his normal speaking one. He wasn't saying words in Arabic so Severus had no idea what was going on.

All of a sudden, there came a sound like a drum beat from the outside of the temple which continued in the steady rhythm of the voices of the singing priests. This carried on for several minutes until it built to a crescendo that had Severus feeling extremely on edge.

Meanwhile, Urhiya had knelt down on the other side of golden mats, directly between them and passed his right and left hands respectively over each of the twin's faces. Nothing happened because of it, but Severus and Jasmina could tell that he wasn't finished.

The all of a sudden…..the singing stopped with one final resounding drum beat, and after that, the only sound was the quiet of the blowing wind.

From behind him, Urhiya produced a golden bowl which was filled with water and placed it in front of him between Henry and Ria.

Then he began to chant again in the same deep voice as before. On and on he went until Severus himself began to feel drowsy because of the tonal quality.

Completely in time with the other, Henry and Ria's small faces screwed up into a grimace and they began to move slightly as if they were having a bad dream.

And then…Severus saw it.

Urhiya reached down and placed two fingers on the left side of Henry's temple and the right side of Ria's.

His words slowed then and he seemed to be pulling back on his fingers.

All at once there appeared a golden stream of consciousness emerging from the sides of the twins head, brought forth by Urhiya.

It took a minute, but with an effort, the Chief Priest pulled both of the streams free from the heads of the twins and placed them in the bowl of water, causing the clear liquid to shift to a golden tone.

Severus hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath the entire time.

The twins were still asleep, but Urhiya picked up the bowl and got to his feet carefully before he walked away from where they were sleeping and to the middle of the temple.

And then he did something that Severus wasn't expecting at all.

He lowered the bowl slightly and then threw the bowl of golden liquid up into the air, high above the heads of all those gathered.

While it was still in the air, he shouted out the words to a spell that neither Severus nor Jasmina had ever heard before.

And then all of a sudden…..the descending water froze in mid-air. It was still lucid, but it was no longer falling.

Quick as a whip, Urhiya called out more words and then the water began to ripple and to Severus's surprise, it split apart into two separate entities but were still connected by a rippling golden thread.

As everyone watched, the hanging water thickened and then formed an image, the very same dream that the twins said they had had a week earlier in Italy.

The dream of the prophecy.

It was utterly real and completely vivid in color. There was even sounds coming from it and Severus could see the large form of Apophis twisting through the air, more vibrant and terrifying than anything he had ever seen. The snake opened its large mouth and emitted a roar that shook the image and caused everyone gathered to give a sharp intake of breath.

It was only when Seth landed on the Egyptian sands and gave his order to Chaos and the sun was swallowed that everyone began to murmur amongst themselves.

And then suddenly…..the image was gone, shattered into a thousand fragments and the only thing that remained was a shower of golden sparkles raining down upon the heads of all gathered.

It was a long time before anyone said anything.

"What does this mean?" Severus whispered and he absently felt Jasmina slip her hand into his for some support.

"It means Master Andronicus," Urhiya said turning to him. "That your son and daughter share the same bond that the first set of magical twins Helios and Selene shared. They can witness the other's dreams, know events they have yet to understand maybe and perhaps even listen to each other's thoughts. They are intrinsically connected and perhaps this is the power that your Dark Lord knew not. I know not for certain, but this can only mean the beginning of great and terrible things for Egypt….and perhaps the world."

Ω

Needless to say, Severus was finding it hard to sleep that night.

After the information that Urhiya had imparted to them, he and Jasmina had carried the twins back to their rooms where he had kissed them goodnight and departed to his own room where he could contemplate what he had learned in thoughtful silence.

The twins had a mental connection, and he wasn't sure if this was surprising or not all that strange.

He had seen Muggle twins who joked that they had this odd sort of telepathy because they could sense things about the other that no one else would know.

Severus was dying for the morning to come so he could ask the twins about what he had learned because perhaps there was something they knew that they hadn't yet told him.

In the meantime however, he was left to sit and think about what he had learned.

As he sat on his bed in the moonlight, he suddenly didn't want to think anymore and readied himself for sleep.

However, once more…sleep would elusive that night.

He didn't know what time it was when he awakened, but judging by the height of the moon in the sky, it was still quite late.

Severus sat up, threw back the sheet rubbed his eyes. He hadn't had any dreams at least. He had had enough dreams since coming here to last a lifetime.

He was contemplating the merits of rolling over and trying to catch the river of slumber once more before it evaporated to the sun when all of a sudden…..there was noise.

Severus got up and turned around slowly. He was about to reach for his wand when he realized he didn't have it anymore, and was still learning the ins and outs of wandless magic.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his head and stumbled back a step when he saw the form of a tall figure standing just outside the curtains of the bedroom bordering on the stone terrace.

"Who….who are you?" the potions master demanded.

There was a long silence where nothing was said and then the figure stepped more firmly into the moonlight and Severus nearly tripped backward off the bed.

The man standing in his doorway was at least seven feet tall and attired in the dress of the old pharaohs of Egypt. He was bare chested and had sandals upon his feet and a staff in his hand and a crown that was strangely birdlike upon his head

But that wasn't what shocked Severus the most.

What was the most surprising was the fact that his skin was bright blue, like the color of the sky over the bay at the Institute.

There was a presence about him that spoke of immense power and a gravity when he moved that felt as if the entire room was shifting as he did.

Severus knew immediately that he was in the presence of a god.

Normally this would be the time to give a sign of respect like bow, but Severus was so in shock that he was unable to move.

Something told him he knew who this was, but his mind was blanking.

The god crooked a finger at him as if gesturing for Severus to follow him and stepped back out onto the terrace.

Severus stood blinking and catching his breath for a second before he realized it wouldn't be a good idea to keep a god waiting and rushed after him.

Thankfully, the blue skinned deity was waiting for him on the terrace overlooking the beach and when Severus hesitantly joined him, he turned to the young man and Severus got the second shock of his life.

The god's eyes were a burning golden color and seared with an intelligence that Severus would have had to have been alive for a lifetime in order to have.

Severus realized what he was seeing…was wisdom.

And then he knew with poignant clarity just who this god was.

As the tall blue skinned figure looked him over carefully, Severus realized that there was only one who would put him under such an examination like this.

For he was standing face to face…..with Thoth.

Ω

**I'm so sorry that getting this chapter out took so long you guys. In my defense though, it was like thirty two pages and that's a lot for someone who's in school full time. Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy it. About the Pygmines, I wanted to create something similar to the house elves but also something that was unique to Egypt, so they were what I came up with. Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene were actually the son and daughter of the first Cleopatra for those of you who don't know, a little mini history lesson for you, :) I really wanted to include something of Cleopatra in this story and now I have. Again if you have any questions, please be sure to PM me and don't forget to review! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

The god didn't say anything which was exactly what Severus hadn't expected. He would think later that he had sort of expected something like a booming voice, a searing hot presence or perhaps even the ground shaking.

But there was none of that.

If anything, Thoth's presence was like a cool shadow slipping in and out of a room as he searched for the person he had been looking for.

Which was Severus apparently.

"What….what do you want?" the potions master asked, swallowing hard.

Again Thoth didn't say anything, but instead of speaking he crooked his finger at the Italian and then turned and strode slowly from the room.

Severus stood there blinking for about five to ten seconds before he realized that he was being an idiot and hurried from the room.

Thankfully, Thoth hadn't gone anywhere and as Severus approached the looming god, the gravity of his presence began to tug Severus toward him.

The blue skinned deity was standing by the balcony railing and looking up at the sky at something that seemed to be drawing his attention most profoundly.

Severus observed the situation for a long moment before he walked forward slowly and stood next to the god as close as he dared.

There didn't seem to be anything else to do except wait for his late night visit to say something.

All of a sudden, Thoth raised his hand and pointed to something in the heavens and after a second of looking at him like he was nuts, Severus looked up to see what the god was looking at.

To his complete and utter shock, he could see that the stars and the moon had once more aligned into the same position he had seen them in at the Zaeem home a few weeks ago.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Severus wasn't so sure he was dreaming anymore.

He could feel the weight of a heavy gaze on him and turned to find that Thoth was staring at him. Severus felt as if the gravity of the sky were in those white as pearl eyes of his because he literally began to feel as if he could not move when they were upon him.

"What is it that you want?" he asked finally.

In answer to his question, Thoth turned his staff to his other hand and placed his hand on the top of it to where the blue flat stone was before turning his hand in a motion that suggested that he was unscrewing it.

To Severus's complete shock the god removed the stone from the top of the staff and held it out to him.

"You're….you're giving this to me?" Severus asked.

The god gave him a long blank look that asked completely without words whether or not Severus was as much of an idiot as he sounded right now.

"But….but why?"

Hesitantly Severus took the stone, wondering why on earth it was that Thoth didn't say anything. He didn't recall any old legends about the god of wisdom not deigning to speak to people.

_Maybe he doesn't speak to humans, _Severus thought absently. _We're not as important as the gods were so maybe he doesn't speak to us with words._

But if that were true, then why was he here?

He glanced down at the deep blue stone in his hand. It was about the size of his palm and perfectly smooth. There was a rune carved into its face that was an exact replica of the mark that had been burned into his hand.

Gingerly, he reached out and touched the symbol carved there.

All of a sudden it was as if the entire world had turned upside down and Severus felt himself tumbling through the air as if he were inside of a clothes dryer.

It was worse than apparating or port keying or using any other means of travel that he was used to, including Shadow Walking.

When the world turned right side up again, he stumbled and nearly fell. As it was, his legs gave out and he dropped to his hands and knees, head ducked and eyes closed, waiting for the dizziness to go away.

When the sense of vertigo had vanished, he looked up and found he was on the desert sands near the pyramids of Giza.

The sky all around them was red, as if the sun had just set, but Severus could tell right away that this was no peaceful time of day like sunset would have indicated.

No this sky said that something very bad was about to happen and there were no birds in the air…..everything was absolutely silent.

Severus looked up to find the god standing next to him and hurriedly got to his feet, brushing dust off of his clothes.

"Why are we here?" he demanded.

In answer to his question, Thoth raised a thick blue arm and pointed to the pyramids.

Severus decided then that it wouldn't do to ask any more questions. He was obviously going to get answers even though he didn't understand them.

Instead, he looked toward Giza where Thoth was pointing and saw that the pyramids looked different than he remembered. They were white and shone in the dying light like pearls. They were also smooth and well defined with no ridges to be seen in them.

It suddenly occurred to him from what he remembered in the history books that he had read when he was younger that this was how the pyramids had looked several thousand years ago.

The realization that they had somehow travelled into the past wasn't long in coming.

He gaped up at Thoth. "Why have we gone back in time?"

The god gave him a long look and then pointed again to the pyramids.

Severus gave up then and turned toward Giza because he obviously wasn't going to get any verbal answers.

What he beheld was nothing short of astonishing.

While the atmosphere had previously been one of a tense silence, Severus looked down from the top of the sandy hill they were standing on and heard the sounds of yells, clashing metal vibrations and the general roar of battle.

Severus saw in astonishment a great battle taking place on the plains before the pyramids of Giza. There appeared to be armies of warriors along with magic users as well as Pygmines among the ranks of those fighting.

He nearly had a heart attack when he looked across the sands at the opposite side who were fighting and saw what appeared to be hybrid versions of half man and half crocodile or hippopotamus.

He whirled back to Thoth.

"You've taken me back to the last battle…..the last battle that took place where Seth was destroyed and Egypt was saved. Why?"

Again, Thoth did not answer. Instead, he continued pointing his long arm toward the battle.

Deciding he would get no answers out of the god until he looked at what Thoth was referring too, Severus turned back to the battle.

In it, he saw flashes of light and recognized it as the weapons that Isis had charmed to make magical. The hybrid crocodiles and hippopotami were proving to be hard pressed to defend against it.

And then all of a sudden, there was a puff of red smoke and Seth himself appeared in the fray. He was at least seven feet tall and had a black staff in his hands. His eyes were flashing with golden light and at the sight of him the hybrid followers seemed to rally.

The other warriors of Horus and Isis reared back in fear but then a shaft of golden light dove out of the sky and landed on the ground with a concussion that rocked the very sand and Severus stumbled.

When the dust cleared, he saw that it was Horus in his warrior form with golden wings on his back that glittered like the sun and a curved sword in his hand.

He and Seth didn't say anything to each other but the looks of undisclosed hatred on their faces said it all.

There were flashes of black and red and gold like as the gods did battle and the war continued raging on by their feet with the magicals of Horus and the magicals of Seth.

The conflict seemed to go on for hours so much so that Severus actually seated himself on the sand to watch. He had no fear of the danger because part of him still believed this was a dream and he couldn't be hurt by it.

He was here for informational purposes only.

Finally, it appeared that Horus and his army had gotten and kept the upper hand. The magical weapons they had been given by Isis cut through the ranks of the hybrid monsters until there was finally enough to take alive by capture.

Severus watched in interest as a golden boat with a canopy upon it rowed up the narrow strait and came to a stop right by the place of battle.

The brightness coming from it was so great that there could be no doubt that Ra himself was aboard.

A voice came from beneath the canopy, a searing tone that was highly severe and focused. "I see you have at lost last remanded our foe into custody Lord Horus."

"Yes Lord Ra," The other god said. "And now to carry out our duties before he wakes Chaos and dispose of this creature once and for all."

"I will return," snarled Seth from where he was on his knees before the boat of Ra.

"Than you will have to do it in pieces," Horus replied and with a swing of the scythe in his hand, he sliced off Seth's head and proceeded to chop the body into pieces.

When this grisly task was complete, Ra produced a sun disk and Horus placed the pieces inside of the disk.

And then the sun god took the disk and as it was nearing nightfall, he hurled the disk into the sky, ensuring that day would never again be afflicted by its power.

Severus finally turned to Thoth to ask a question and found the god was taking the blue stone off of his staff.

"What are you doing?" the potions master asked getting to his feet.

Thoth didn't reply.

When the stone was finally free of the top of the staff, Thoth held it out to Severus and the Italian felt his jaw slacken.

"You want me to have this?"

The god nodded.

"But why?"

Again there was no answer and Severus was beginning to understand that Thoth wanted him to figure it out rather than simply him giving him the answers. Perhaps that was why he didn't speak at all, because he was too busy thinking.

Finally, he reached out and took it and the moment his fingers closed around the stone, there was a flash of light and a dizzying concussion that had Severus nearly falling before the light cleared and he found himself standing once more upon the balcony of the temple overlooking the ocean…..alone.

Glancing down at his hand, Severus knew right away that it hadn't been a dream…..for there was the large blue stone of Thoth sitting in his right hand…..it's riddles waiting to be solved.

Ω

Severus decided to say nothing of his dream to Jasmina or Mubarak and as the week in Egypt rolled on, he decided that it was best not to say anything until he discovered what it meant for himself.

Obviously more tests had to be run on the twins to determine the extent of the connection that they shared and it was revealed that both Henry and Ria could hear the others thoughts. It was a consistent phenomenon but Urhiya told their concerned father that as they grew older and matured, they would be able to hear each other more easily.

Understandably both twins were nervous and excited about such an occurrence because there had been times in the past when they were able to hear a thought when they previously had been thinking about something completely different.

Severus questioned the high priest about whether or not they would be able to shield their thoughts from one another if they chose to and he said that it was difficult to say, he suggested that they return when they had reached their tenth year so he could determine more of the extent of the connection that they shared.

On their last day in Alexandria, Severus took around two hours to slip away to the market place and happened to chance upon a particular jewelry stall.

The pieces there were exquisite, but there was one in particular that caught his attention and wouldn't let it go.

It was a golden ring that had an octagonal amber stone embedded in its face and in the face of the stone there was a peculiar golden hieroglyph engraved.

When Severus questioned the stall owner about it, he was told that that particular marking was the glyph for the word everlasting.

Extremely intrigued, Severus purchased the ring and tucked it away in the pocket of his bag to contemplate for usage later and returned to the temple.

The next morning, they bid farewell to the Serapion and the high priest and rode back to the light house where they might use Shadow Walking to return to the Institute.

After their many discoveries in Alexandria, Severus was quite surprised when things seemed to calm down and he was able to focus on work completely.

A few months went by, and they were well into spring in the New Year and Mubarak received no more word of the Children of Anubis.

"It is likely they have gone into hiding," he told Severus. "We have discovered their nest and so purged them of their sacrifices."

"All this quiet is making me nervous," Severus confessed one afternoon when they were sitting on the terrace overlooking the bay. "It's kind of like the calm before the storm. Only this time we're waiting for the Children of Anubis to act and that is not a pleasant feeling."

"We do not know if the idea of raising Seth from the abyss has even entered their darkest dreams," Mubarak said calmly. "Be assured that there is still time to act."

"But what about the time for Henry and Ria?" Severus demanded. "They were the subject of a prophecy back in England. While I still believe its bull, a lot of people don't and Riddle was one of them. We've already proven because of the Horcruxes that he came here to make, he's not dead and sooner or later he's going to find a way to return and when he does, my son and daughter are going to be the first people he comes after."

"Severus, I sense that there is a decision you have made that you wish to share with me," Mubarak prompted. "Say what is on your mind."

The younger man took a deep breath. "It is the beginning of May and there are only a few weeks more of classes at the Institute before the years study is completed. What I am requesting is that as soon as the classes have concluded for the year, that I be allowed to return to England to begin the search for the rest of Riddle's Horcruxes."

Mubarak regarded him for a long time. "You seem convinced that most of these entities are ensconced in that country. Why?"

"Something that I learned from one of my school friends who actually was a part of his inner ranks was the fact that during the time before his death and while he was at Hogwarts, Riddle was obsessed with his family history despite the fact that his father was a muggle."

"Go on."

"It is reasonable to conclude that whatever Horcruxes he made had something to do with those very pieces of information. Thus I want to return to England so essentially get into the mind of Riddle and see what it was that he could possibly have hidden the Horcruxes in."

Again Mubarak was silent before speaking. "Do you think that it is wise to return now?"

When they had returned from Alexandria a few months ago, Severus had received a letter from Minerva McGonagall stating that the old fool had discovered the truth of the twins parentage and was now looking for him to see if he knew where they were or if they were still alive.

When his anger had cooled, Severus wrote to his aunt and cousin, informing them of this new information only to hear back from them that McGonagall had written them too with the news. Emilia told him that no matter what he did, he should not bring the twins back to England at this time for whatever reason. If he needed to return there for any reason, he should bring the twins to stay with them if Jasmina was unavailable.

He had agreed and spent the next few months thinking about it as well as being up to his eyeballs in class work. Now that summer was fast approaching, the idea of returning to England to do some practically work was heavy on his mind and was growing more and more insistent every day.

"I see no problems with returning," Mubarak said. "However, what are you going to do if you are cornered by the headmaster for whatever reason?"

Truthfully, Severus wasn't quite sure. He wasn't as worried about Dumbledore finding him anymore, given the fact that Mubarak had ensured to make the twins part of Egypt's permanent residence and they could no longer be taken out of Egypt.

A truly large relief for their father.

But he wasn't going to risk anything by going back to England with the twins, that would be just asking for trouble.

However, there was one person he would have liked to take with him.

Now that made two things he needed to ask her…..and there was one other question he needed the answer to before he could ask her himself.

Just thinking about those three questions that he had to ask made his palms sweaty and when Jasmina was near those questions would pop into his head, making him unfocused and nervous and very jumpy.

Finally he decided he was through being a ruddy coward and that it was high time that he got back to his Slytherin cunning.

And so, on a particular afternoon on the beach after the subject of those questions had left, Severus called the twins up from the water, intending to ask them what they thought.

"What is it Daddy?" Henry asked.

"You two like Miss Mina don't you?" he asked very seriously and they nodded.

"Yes Daddy, Miss Mina is our next favorite person next to you," Ria explained with a big smile. "She's always so nice."

"Good," Severus said and took a deep breath. "Than what would think about not having to call her Miss Mina anymore?"

The twins frowned. "What do you mean Daddy?"

"Would you be alright with it then, if I asked Miss Mina to marry me?"

Henry and Ria exchanged glances and big grins came over their faces. "Does that mean that she would be our Mummy?"

Despite himself, Severus began to smile too. "Yes, that means she would be your new Mummy."

There was a moment of silence before the twins squealed and threw themselves into their father's arms.

"We're gonna get a new Mummy Henry!" Ria exclaimed. "Miss Mina's going to be our Mummy!"

"Now don't get excited too much," Severus cautioned when they had calmed down some. "I haven't asked her yet. And she's very traditional so I would need to ask her father for permission first."

"You mean Mr. Adil and his dad would be our family too?" Henry asked.

Severus blew out a breath of air and swallowed a few times. He had gone over and over in his head what it would be like to have such powerful in laws as Hatshepsut and Zafeer.

That age old Muggle adage was true certainly, when you marry someone you don't just marry them, you marry their entire family as well."

But strangely Severus wasn't worried about that. He had a good relationship with Jasmina's parents and had been to her home many times since they had met almost a year ago and now that they had been dating for eight months, he was of the age that having a long engagement or dating for years before getting engaged, a prospect which did not appeal to him.

Severus was of the mind that when he knew he loved someone, it didn't take years for him to decide that he wanted to be with that person.

When he loved someone, he loved them.

It was that simple.

So when he told his cousin that night what he was planning through the floo, Tony let out a whoop that Severus was sure could be heard all over the island of Sicily.

"Atta boy Sev!" he said grinning hugely. "I was wondering when you were going to grow a pair and ask her."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Your confidence in me with regards to the opposite sex is flattering Tony it really is."

"You know exactly what I mean. You have the most beautiful woman in Egypt on your arm and you were waiting around to snap her up for what…..the apocalypse?"

Severus rolled his eyes at his cousin's head in the flames. "Eight months is a not an eternity Tony. I understand that it might be for you who are a female crazed maniac but for me it was just the right amount of time."

"Well good for you Sev. So when's the wedding going to be?"

"Wait a minute, I haven't even asked her yet and you're already planning the wedding! Slow down, I have to ask her father for permission first."

For a moment Tony looked at him as if he was pulling his leg. "Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious! They're very traditional, the last thing I need to do is offend anyone, and I know her well enough to know she won't marry me until she has the green light."

Tony muttered something under his breath and Severus decided he was going to ignore whatever it was for now.

"Speaking of which, there was something I wanted to ask you too."

"And that is?"

"If she says yes….and I don't know how Egyptian marriage ceremonies work…..would you stand up with me?"

If possible, the grin on Tony's face went even bigger than it had been before. "You'd want me to be your best man?"

"You're my cousin Tony and my best friend, you and Aunt Emilia were there for me when no one else was. There's no one else I would rather have with me for this than you."

The Italian looked overcome for a moment before he fixed his cousin with a genuine smile. "Then I'd be honored Sev, I really would."

Ω

It turned out Tony was the easiest person to ask a question in the next few months. Severus knew he was going to have to ask Jasmina soon because the twins were bursting with excitement and there was no way that they were going to be able to keep quiet for much longer without her noticing.

The idea of how to get out to her house without alerting her to what he wanted was going to be a little tricky, but finally Severus broke down and told Adil what he was planning and that he needed to ask Zafeer for permission first.

He got so excited that Severus thought he might burst a blood vessel. After that, he said he would take care of everything and not to worry.

Truthfully, Severus later learned he would have been able to bet money on Jasmina's brother because the next thing he knew, two days later, Severus found himself on the terrace of the Zaeem home waiting for Zafeer to make an appearance.

Since he had returned from Alexandria, Severus had kept the ring on a chain around his neck and tucked inside his tunic so that no one would ever see it and wonder why he was carrying one around.

Every so often, when he was alone and in his room in the dorm before turning in for the night, he would take out the chain and roll the ring over and over between his fingers, imagining it on her hand and imagining sliding it onto her finger.

The thought dried out his mouth and made his heart rate speed up in excitement every single time.

And now here he was, standing on the terrace overlooking the river where he had first had dinner with the Zaeems many months ago, waiting for Zafeer so he could ask for permission to marry his youngest daughter.

"Severus? Adil told me you were here?"

The young man whirled about at the sound of Zafeer's deep voice and gave a sheepish smile when the Zaeem patriarch raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, you seem apprehensive."

"Yes sir, I'm fine."

"Good, have you made any more progress with regards to the Horcruxes?" he asked as he joined Severus at the edge of the terrace.

Severus blinked and decided that this would be a good icebreaker. "No sir, unfortunately not. Although I have come up with a few ideas."

"Pray tell. What are they?"

Severus swallowed absently. "It occurred to me when we returned from Alexandria that despite the prophecy of Seth and his suggested return to our world, one fact remains the same in every scenario."

"And that is?"

"The one where Lord Voldemort returns and my children are once again targeted by him."

Zafeer's face cleared in understanding. "Ah, and the look on your face would suggest that you have detailed some sort of plan."

"Yes, after classes conclude in three weeks, Director Mubarak has given me permission to return to England to begin hunting down Riddle's remaining Horcruxes."

"And excellent idea," Zafeer nodded. "We will continue searching for the one that was bequeathed to the Children of Anubis here."

"Thank you."

"And am I correct in assuming that Henricus and Ilaria will be accompanying you?"

"Actually no, I have plans to leave them with their grandmother in Italy."

Zafeer raised an eyebrow and Severus knew he was asking a question without really asking the question.

He sighed. "It's not really…..safe for me to take them with me to Egypt."

"Oh?"

"I have told you about my old headmaster correct? And how….manipulative he was?"

"Indeed."

"Well because the twins were the subject of this prophecy back in England that means he believes they will be the only ones who can defeat this dark lord when he inevitably makes a return, and so finding them to him is very important."

"Because he believes they are the key to his destruction."

"Exactly and he thinks if they are close to him, they will be easier to manipulate and control when they are grown enough to defeat him."

To his surprise, Zafeer's golden eyes flashed with anger. "The old fool. I was appalled at the lack of knowledge these European wizards had when I was a guest on the Wizengamot nearly five years ago, but to go so far as to manipulate children?"

Privately, Severus was glad that Zafeer had expressed anger over this because if he had come to care for the twins it would mean that Severus was somewhat endeared to the patriarch as well, thus strengthening what he was going to ask.

Merlin….

They talked for a few more minutes about the Horcruxes before it became obvious to Zafeer that something was on the young man's mind and it had nothing to do with soul fragments.

"Severus," he said slowly as they stood there sipping from their goblets of wine. "I sense there is something you wish to say but you are nervous to broach and thus I must conclude it has something to do with me personally. Speak."

The young man swallowed hard and Zafeer gave an inward smile. When Jasmina told him that she was seeing Severus romantically and not just within the walls of the Institute as the teacher of his children, he had been secretly pleased.

She had been such a free spirit that he wondered if she would ever settle down. Her older brothers had been extremely protective of her since she was the youngest as well as the only girl which had made it difficult for her to socialize when she was younger. She was very independent and ambitious, had wanted to travel and see the world before she settled down, and while he could appreciate that about her, he wondered how long it was before she would let someone into her life other than just her family.

And then she had met Severus and he hadn't been surprised at all. He had been sure that if Jasmina would ever open her heart to anyone it wouldn't be someone who was Egyptian that would be far too uninteresting. Three of her brothers had married women from other countries so it wasn't like it wasn't normal, but he had simply had a feeling.

Mubarak had mentioned a few times since Severus had begun his study as an apprentice at the Institute that he was a brilliant young man with an extremely hard work ethic. To receive his gold cauldron at twenty five years of age was very impressive and his resume of working in Italy and England also was a credit to him.

When he had spoken with him that first night, he had been impressed with how humble and almost shy the young man was. He downplayed his accomplishments with pure modesty and having been trained in reading minute facial indicators all his life, Zafeer could tell that he was being completely genuine.

Which had led them to this point and Zafeer had a feeling that he knew what the young man was going to say.

"Sir, I haven't known Jasmina for quite a year, and yet….she has this sort of natural ability to encourage and instruct. She's made a lasting impact on my children which I'm sure they will take with them for the rest of their lives. They never cease talking about her and over the past while, I've found I don't want them to stop talking about her. She's been more than a delight to me as well. I've found I've learned so many things from her in the last year that it would have taken me my entire life to know and she's opened my eyes to a part of the world I never would have experienced if I hadn't met her."

Severus looked out towards the river, and Zafeer could tell that he was meaning every word he was saying.

He paused here, not wanting to ramble and sound like a love struck idiot.

Zafeer was silent, but Severus knew he had his full attention. His golden eyes were emotionless and his features curiously blank and the potions master knew he was waiting for him to continue.

"What I am asking sir, is may I have your permission to ask your daughter to marry me?"

There…..it was out, he was brave, he wasn't a coward like he had been years earlier in school.

Zafeer regarded him with cool golden eyes for a moment before he swirled the wine in his goblet and took a short sip.

"Before I reply in either the negative or the positive Severus there are a few thing that I need to know."

This was uncharted waters.

"Okay," Severus replied slowly, trying not to feel nervous.

"You are a father as well," Zafeer said. "Ria is your only daughter and as such she is going to grow up eventually and be around the opposite sex, perhaps even become romantically involved with someone of that category."

Severus pressed the heels of his palms to temples and closed his eyes tightly. "Merlin, I don't even want to think about that yet."

If he would have opened his eyes, he would have seen Zafeer smirking slightly. This was the reaction he had had when he had first held his only daughter twenty four years earlier and thought about the future.

"We are both father's Severus," Zafeer said. "And as such, we want the best for our children. We don't want anyone or anything to hurt them and we can very protective yes?"

Severus nodded. He had a feeling he knew where Zafeer was going with this.

"As so before I answer your question I need to know, what makes you think you are the best for my daughter as opposed to any other man she might meet?"

Severus knew he was being tested and he wasn't angry about it. Zafeer was only trying to look out for Jasmina's best interests and as a father he probably would have done the same thing for Ria.

"There's no easy answer for that sir," he said carefully. "I could give you a million reasons as to why I may or may not think that that Jasmina would be better off with me if I was a different man, but all of them would sound horribly superficial and shallow, and that's not the impression I want to make. So I suppose I should simply tell you that I wouldn't be the best for her…..but she would certainly be the best for me."

The silence from Zafeer indicated that he wished Severus to continue.

"My cousin tells me that before I came here and was living with them in Italy the only reason that I smiled was because of my children. They reminded me of their mother Lily and I could see her in their faces which prompted me to focus on the past. After living there for four years and getting accepted to the Institute, I began to focus on the present and what I had to do to take care of them. Finally after being here for nearly a year, I have started to focus on the future and one of the main reasons is her.

"I think one of the reasons that I started to care for her was the complete selflessness with which she regarded my children. She treated them like her own. In turn I began to see her as more than just a woman, or as their teacher but as a mother as well. I had decided after Lily died that there wouldn't be anyone else for me and that I would focus on simply raising Henry and Ria to the best of my abilities and focusing on the work I had to do to provide for them. But when I met her, she proceeded to awaken in them a desire for knowledge and with it, she earned their respect and love. How could I not care for someone who was able to do that?"

Finally, he turned and looked up at the man who he hoped he would be able to call his father in law one day.

"So no sir, there's nothing about me that would be the best for Jasmina. But there's everything about her that would make her the best for me."

Zafeer looked at him for a long moment and Severus was astonished when he began to smile.

And then he did something even stranger by reaching out his hand and clapping Severus on the shoulder.

"Well done," he said quietly. "You have just shown me through your words that you put my daughter first in all things. Ever since she was young I charged her that if she were to ever find someone that that person should love her more than they love themselves because only then would she find someone who would treat her like the prize she is. And it seems that that someone is you."

He held out his hand and Severus took it. "Yes Severus Andronicus, you have my permission to ask my daughter to marry you. I would be honored if you would be a part of this family."

Severus wasn't sure if he wanted to collapse from all the adrenaline running through him or cry with relief.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I hoped that would be your answer."

"When do you plan to ask her?"

"As soon as possible," Severus said looking back out to the river and he was very glad to feel the breeze on his face. He had perspiring greatly and had only now become aware of it. "I'm a simple man and an enormous wedding ceremony is not really my style."

Zafeer got a contemplative look on his face. "Perhaps there is a way to combine both. I will speak with Hatshepsut regarding this."

He turned away and was about to leave when something stopped him. "Severus?"

The young man turned back. "Yes?"

The Zaeem patriarch approached once more. "As you know this property is enormously extensive and has many wonderful houses and temples upon it. Perhaps this property would be an ideal place for a wedding."

Severus looked around and could have smacked himself for not thinking of it earlier. "That's a fantastic idea. I would be honored to have it here. If that is acceptable of course."

"Indeed it is, and you should know that there is an old tradition in the Zaeem household. We are a close knit family and so traveling to the ends of the earth away from each other is something that we indulge in frequently. In this house everything begins and ends with family. And now that you will be a part of it, this includes you and Henry and Ria as well."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean sir," Severus said feeling a little confused.

"What I mean is that while we don't extend dowries anymore, it is a tradition for the bride or groom of a Zaeem to live on the property with their husband or wife, and children if they have them."

Severus's eyes went wide. "You want me to live here?"

"Indeed, it is tradition. There are many empty and well-kept houses on the property. You would not need to live in the main palace with us if you did not wish it, but this is something Jasmina knows. This is as close to negotiating a dowry as we ever do any more."

"I see and so it wouldn't be in good taste if I were to refuse it?" Severus ventured. Zafeer raised an eyebrow, allowing him to draw his own conclusions on the subject and he nodded. "I see then."

Zafeer clapped his shoulder. "Excellent."

Ω

His mind reeling, Severus made his way back to the Institute and later that evening told his aunt and cousin everything that Zafeer had told him.

Emilia began to cry much to the chagrin of her son and nephew and had to call one of the elves to find her a handkerchief.

"So when are you going to ask her Sev?" Antonius asked.

"I think perhaps tomorrow," the young man replied. "Her brother has arranged for me to come for dinner early before she returns home herself and so we're going to set something up."

"I'm sure it will be perfectly romantic Sev," Emilia said and wacked Tony upside the head when it appeared he that he opened his mouth to make some lurid comment. "Have you told the twins?"

"Yes I told them a few days ago and they're thrilled with the news."

Privately he hoped that Jasmina would be too.

Adil had been fit to burst for the last three days and told Severus not to worry and that he was going to plant an idea in his sister's brain that would make it perfect for a romantic proposal and all Severus had to do when she brought it up was agree and offer suggestions.

He got his first taste of how good of a planner Adil was when he went to retrieve the twins the next afternoon at school and she quietly asked him if he would like to come to the house that evening. She said that her brother had mentioned that Severus had eluded to the fact that he would like to see the rest of the Zaeem property and so she would like to show it to him.

Severus agreed, grinning privately to himself and thanked all the gods for Adil.

He decided that he wouldn't say anything to the twins because they were going to see their grandmother that weekend and would tell them when they returned.

Tony came and picked them up from the floo that afternoon an hour or so before Severus was supposed to leave and clapped his cousin on the back with a grin.

"Hopefully when I return the twins, there will be an engaged Severus waiting for me," he whispered and Severus smirked.

His gin faded however as soon as his son and daughter disappeared into the floo with their uncle.

Merlin…..this was really happening.

He was going to propose.

Adil met him on his way back through the temple to the dorm and told him that the only way to see the Zaeem property was on horseback and that there was a particular point on the southern end of the property where they could actually climb one of the pyramids and glimpse the entire property from down below.

It would be an ideal place to propose eternal commitment.

Now all he had to do was put on something nice, meet Jasmina at the apparating point and pray that the night would go off without a hitch.

Or something like that.

Ω

Severus thought he was going to be sick.

He had just bed Adil goodbye when they reached the outer courtyard of the Zaeem home and Jasmina had come by with the horses.

She of course would be riding Zaair and him the black stallion Asif.

Adil had given him a secret smile before he had left and Severus swallowed hard. He wasn't so much worried about Jasmina's reaction as he was whether or not the evening would be romantic enough.

However, the weather at least seemed to be complying with his wishes.

The sky was clear and turning a deep blue as the sun lowered in the sky casting the surrounding horizon turquoise, gold and pink colors that looked like a lovely watercolor painting hanging in a museum.

They took the two horses and after swinging into the saddles in which Severus prayed to all the gods he could think of that he wouldn't make an absolute fool of himself, they rode off through the many gardens bordering the Zaeem palace.

After about twenty minutes of riding, they reached a gate in the stone wall which they passed through and entered a jungle like forest with high trees, screeching birds and peculiar monkeys. The air inside of the jungle was hot and humid, and Severus silently cast a warming charm on himself so that he wouldn't become drenched in perspiration as that would be very embarrassing.

Finally however, they appeared to make it through the jungle and when they came out on the opposite side they were at the base of the pyramid on the far west side of the property.

Severus glanced up at the massive structure before him. "Do you think it's possible to climb it?"

Jasmina glanced where he was looking and raised an eyebrow. "I've never tried, but I'd imagine so. The building blocks on the pyramid are sort of like steps. The ancient slaves building them would have had to reach the top when they were building somehow."

"Why don't we try it?" Severus asked slyly.

She laughed before glancing at his face. "You're serious?"

"Why not?" Severus asked. "I bet we could see the entire property from the top of the pyramid. Plus it might take your mind off things."

What he was referring to of course was the prophecy of Seth as well as the Children of Anubis and the Horcruxes that were still hanging over everyone's head and creating a general atmosphere of unease.

Jasmina pursed her lips and he could tell she was thinking about it. "Alright, let's give it a try."

It turned out to be a little harder than Severus thought it was because the stones were old and rough and worn in some places which didn't give them the best foothold.

It would have been very difficult if they were Muggles and sometimes Severus had to cast a silent charm to keep his feet some slipping.

The wind proved to be a factor as well. Because they had been surrounded by trees on the bottom of the forest floor, there was no way possible for a breeze to filter through which of course made it very humid.

Once they reached about halfway up the pyramid however, the wind began to blow. It was a strong breeze coming down from the north and the ocean and because the desert went on for miles, there weren't any barriers to block the wind at this height, they were completely at its mercy.

Severus was beginning to slightly regret taking Adil's suggestion when he nearly slipped for the fifth time.

Jasmina however, appeared to be having the time of her life. Her cheeks were slightly pink from the exertion of the climb.

"Are you alright Severus?" she called down as she was a few feet ahead of him.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," the potions master replied back trying to keep the growl from his voice as he cursed himself, Adil and this asinine plan he had come up with.

_Just a little bit long Sev, just a little bit longer. You're almost there, and then you have to propose….._

_Oh god…_

Finally, it appeared that they were nearing the summit of the pyramid. They had to stop several feet before the top itself as it would have been two small for them to sit on and perhaps unsafe as well.

When they had seated themselves on the indentations of the stone protruding from the pyramid as if they were steps, Severus turned and finally looked out on the view of the entire property below him.

And found that he was speechless.

He had often seen pictures of mental representations of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon when he was still in school and the entire property that he was looking at was a culmination of all of the photos he had seen.

As Jasmina had told them, they were sitting on the most westward pyramid where they could see the setting sun.

He could see the emerald green of the jungle below him that was surrounding the pyramid as well as the Zaeem palace on the basis of the sapphire strip of river further to the northeast of the property. Even farther to the north he could see the two pyramids which guarded the entrance to the Zaeem property.

It was certainly cooler at this altitude and Severus was glad for it because the heat on his skin was very quickly going away.

The sun however was warm at this altitude and as Severus turned to face it, he was hit with a blast of golden light, so much so that it nearly blinded him for a moment.

"It's lovely isn't it?" Jasmina murmured. "I always wondered what it would be like to see my home from this height but it never occurred to me to climb the pyramid to see it. Thank you Severus."

He smiled at her and reached over to take her hand. "I thought it might make you feel better to see it all from this distance. It kind of puts everything that's been going on into perspective that way….makes everything seem smaller."

"I supposed the thought to try and get away from it all never occurred to me," she mused aloud. "There are these thousands of years of cultural ancestry in this place and sometimes it feels like we're all overwhelmed by the choices of our ancestors and what they would have done in situations like this."

"You can't think like that," Severus. "Truthfully, they never had to deal with things like this in this sort of light. Your great great grandfather issued a prophecy that seems thousands of years in the making and one that's full of hate. None of your ancestors faces something like that."

"I know, but now that leaves me without a reference," she said softly.

"Well," Severus said sensing an opening. "Not necessarily."

Jasmina looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath. "References are something we go to when we want to find answers or meaning in something or some sort of foundation with which we can build upon."

Jasmina smiled at him. "You've become eloquent since you came to Egypt Severus. Is that a result of my influence?"

She asked the question teasingly, but Severus knew she had just given him an opening for what it was that he needed to say.

"Mina since I came here, there have been a lot of things that have been the result of your influence."

Her smile faded somewhat and now she looked confused. "What do you mean?"

He cocked his head to one side. "Do you not honestly know how much of an impact you've made on me and the twins?"

"They were always brilliant Severus, the only thing I did was give a nudge."

"No one else would have been able to do it like you," he said quietly. "And that is something that makes you very special."

She took in his serious tone and realized that there was something he was trying to say….something deeper.

"Severus what's going on?"

He looked at her for a moment and then took a deep breath. "Do you remember that conversation we had a couple of months ago, at the temple on the river near the palace? The one when you discovered about the curse and weren't feeling quite yourself?"

She snorted. "That's a bit of an understatement Severus, I stormed off in a rage and refused to talk to my parents for at least two days."

"I know but eventually you did. Do you remember what we talked about?"

Her brow furrowed. "Many things. You told me that I shouldn't be angry with them and I learned a little bit more about your past and why you are the way you are with the twins. You also said that you were the way you were with them because you had their best interests at heart and always would."

"I did say that," Severus said quietly. "But I'd also like to have someone else's best interests at heart too."

"Who?"

"You."

Jasmina blinked and nearly lost her balance from the rock she was sitting on. "Me?"

Severus smiled gently. "Is that such a crazy idea?"

"No! I just….I just…..we….we never really talked about things like this before," she stammered and if Severus hadn't been about to propose than maybe he would have thought it sweeter.

"Well don't you think it's time we should?" he said and her face went bright pink. "Well…..perhaps. We have been together for almost a year and have spoken of some many wonderful things."

"Severus – "

"Please let me finish. I'll be a lot less nervous when I've said what I need to."

She swallowed hard and nodded. The wind was blowing her hair about her face and somehow not seeing her eyes at the beginning of the speech made Severus a little less nervous.

"Since we got out here, you've gone out of your way to be helpful both to me and the twins. You helped me when I was lost, became their favorite teacher ever and gave them a drive and an ambition for life that I'm not sure I would have been able to do on my own. Your entire family took us in and welcomed us and I can say without any sort of qualms that Egypt has become my home and I can honestly say that there is nowhere else I would rather be. And you're a large part of that."

She brushed the hair out of her face and he could see that the normally reserved woman was going slightly pink.

"You've helped me see life in a new and different way and when I was able to help you do the same thing all those months ago…..it felt really good, as if we were a team almost. And I began to slowly realize that's the way I always wanted us to be. When you were nearly hurt at Giza several months ago I don't think I've ever been so angry. You don't need my protection in any sense of the word. But I want you to know that you'll always have it and that I'm always going to try to."

She had finally gotten her hair under control and he was surprised to see tears streaming from her eyes. In the dying sunlight, they appeared liquid gold and herself a peculiar sort of statue.

"What….what I'm trying to say Mina, is that I want to always have your best interests at heart. Whether it's about this prophecy or something as little as deciding whether or not to speak to your family about something. I want to be there every step of the way, for every little thing. I don't care if its an argument, or a work decision or something about the twins, or future prophecies about the apocalypse. I want to be there for you. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

It was then that he went for the chain where the ring was hanging around his neck and Jasmina pressed her hands to her mouth, her golden eyes going wide.

"So," he said, rather glad that his hands weren't shaking. He succeeded in taking it off the chain and leaned forward, elbows on his knees to present it to her. "As we sit here on the top of this pyramid, as high as we can go. I need to ask. Jasmina Zaeem…will you marry me?"

She gazed down at the ring and then at his face and then back at the ring and then back at his face about six times before she slowly took her hands away from her own face.

"I asked you once about the past," she whispered. "And you told me that you were ready to let go of it. That, you were ready to move on to the future."

She reached out and took one of his hands. "Severus Andronicus, I've loved you from the first time you came to spend dinner with my family. You were speaking with my father and you were so nervous that you looked like you had swallowed a lemon. I knew then that you were a hard worker and while we were just friends at the time, the fact that you were so willing to put in the effort to know my family resonated with me."

She reached out and took the other hand. "And like you said all those months ago, I want this to continue, whatever insane adventure it is. So yes….I want to marry you."

Severus seemed to sag and relief and happiness and he leaned over and drew her into his arms, carefully because of the height they were at.

She pressed a hand to his face as if memorizing every inch of it and as he slid the ring onto her finger, Jasmina remembered what her mother had said before they went to Alexandria all those months ago.

And in that moment….she just knew.

Ω

**I figured we could use a little bit of romance after all the dangerous adventures our favorite characters have had so far. Next chapter will be the wedding and the trip back to England to track down the Horcruxes. Don't forget to review and enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Needless to say, Severus didn't do very much sleeping that night.

When he and Jasmina returned from their trip to the pyramid, the both of them smiling and a golden ring on the latter's finger, there was enormous hoopla in the Zaeem household.

Everyone wanted to see the piece of jewelry and talk about where the wedding was going to be and of course there were all of these ancient traditions that needed to be sorted out and included in the wedding and by two in the morning, Hatshepsut took pity on the Italian and showed him to the guest room where he gratefully fell into the bed and went right to sleep.

He was exhausted, but it was a good kind of tired, the kind of tired born out of emotional stress that had paid off in the best way possible as it guaranteed him a partner and help mate for the rest of his life.

Thankfully, there were no dreams that night and he awoke the following morning to the sunlight on the river feeling remarkably refreshed and ready to go.

It was an Egyptian holiday at the Institute so that meant no classes for which he was eternally grateful and he spent the morning breakfasting with Jasmina and her family on the terrace where they had supped the first time.

Although it appeared that everyone still had pre wedding jitters, Severus was glad they kept a lid on everything because he and Jasmina still didn't know what it was that they wanted.

Finally when they were sitting on the steps of the island temple an hour later the both of them not saying anything Severus decided to ask his intended what it was that she wanted.

"Contrary to what you might think Severus, I'm not someone that needs to be have a big wedding," she said. "In ancient times when a man and woman wanted to be married all that was necessary for it to be recognized was that they needed to move into the same house. If we followed the ancient customs, all you would need to do is either move in here or I would live with you. However that was only in the Muggle way of life, the magical way of life was very different especially among the rich."

"Yes, but we don't live in an ancient time," Severus said gently. "And I'm a forward enough thinker to say that I would much rather live here with you than any place I had back in England or in Italy."

Jasmina knew that Severus had an inheritance and he had told her about his talk with her father about how Zafeer had wanted them to live here on the property with them.

"Are you comfortable with that?" she asked and was rewarded with a smile.

"I've loved this home, this place and this family since I first visited here," Severus said. "I am not so backwards in my thinking that my pride would prevent me from taking such a gift as your father offered."

Jasmina smiled. "Excellent because though I would have loved to have become a part of new home with you, Egypt is ultimately my home and I would not be ready to leave it just yet."

The both of them had spoken about his plans for when the classes in the Institute concluded for the summer and she was solidly behind his desire to return to England to begin to hunt down the Horcruxes.

There was even talk that Mubarak would join them sometime during the journey. Severus had thought about leaving his children in Italy during the time, but had since decided to have them stay in Egypt so they could get to know their step mother's family better. They were only five years old now and so he didn't feel would have a problem with staying with the Zaeems.

During the months in their return from Alexandria, Mubarak, Jasmina and Severus continued to investigate the strange mental bond the twins shared and had discovered that they were both able to hear each other's thoughts along with having similar dreams like what Tony had discovered.

Jasmina had thrown herself into research about the last powerful Egyptian twins who were in fact Helios and Selene, the son and daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony.

There had been rumors as well that they had shared a mental bond as well as a host of other strange powers. Helios had been rumored to have been able to change his shape into whatever form he wished whether animate or inanimate. It didn't matter if it was an animal or a block of wood.

Selene however was said to have mastered the art of elemental control. She could conjure water fire air and earth no matter where she was and use the elements at her disposal as offensive and defensive weapons.

It was also rumored that Cleopatra was going to use her son and daughter to take back control of Egypt from the Romans but she was killed before the twins reached the age of full maturity where they could assume full command of their powers.

Helios ultimately died, or was assassinated by Augustus Caesar who was fully aware of what the twins could do and had decided that they were too dangerous to keep around. They were both becoming too powerful and he assumed it would be easy to marry Selene off and get her out of the way.

It proved to be to his detriment however because Selene was married to Juba of Mauritania which became an insanely powerful country and ultimately had a hand in overthrowing the Roman Empire. Selene never returned home to Egypt but her children, all twelve of them returned and became rulers and succeeded in igniting the magical economy once more. Under Cleopatra's rule followed by Rome's the economy though flourishing was also crushing the people under the weight of the Roman occupation.

The sacred temples to Isis, Osiris, Re and Horus were torn down and replaced with the Roman gods, something that was pure blasphemy in the eyes of the magical Egyptians.

Selene's children aided in driving out the Roman occupation and righting the temples of the gods.

While the twins had not inherited any sort of abilities like Helios and Selene possessed, Jasmina had a suspicion as to why.

A few weeks after the marriage announcement when the wedding plans were underway, Severus and Jasmina were walking along the shore of the bay at the Institute hand in hand. The twins were spending time with their soon to be uncle Adil and Naveen Farida and Amir. It would be good to spend time with their soon to be family.

"Severus?" Jasmina asked as they walked along. The sun was setting along the edge of the bay and the whole atmosphere was one of peace and quiet.

"Yes?" the potion master asked.

"I've been thinking. Do you remember how I told you about how it was a tradition in the Zaeem household for the spouse who married the Zaeem to move into the palace with the rest of the family?"

"I do," Severus replied, "and I already told you I had no problems with it whatsoever. In fact I'd prefer it that way. I still have six more years at the Institute and somehow I think that all four of us living in my small dorm would not be a comfortable situation."

Jasmina shook her head, trying to get back on track. "Sev, that's not what I'm talking about. There's another tradition in our household, but its not as readily followed as the one where we move in together. It concerns the matter of the twins."

Instantly Severus was all ears. "The twins? What about them?"

Jasmina sighed. Truthfully, she had no idea how her fiancé was going to take this and he might not appreciate the twins being altered in any way.

"Severus, the reason we have lasted as a pureblood family for so long without the use of inbreeding was that whenever one of our own married someone, they were adopted into the family as honorary Zaeems."

"Adopted?" Severus asked. "How on earth did you go about doing that? I've heard a few cases in England where its happened but in order for that to happen, the family magic of an ancient house has to accept you as a member. It's much different from the Muggle cases where all it takes is signing a piece of paper."

"It's a little more complicated with us," Jasmina said laughing softly. "But what I'm asking is….would it be alright with you if after the wedding ceremony…..we adopted the twins as Zaeems?"

Severus blinked in surprise. In all honesty he didn't really know how to feel about a request like that. He had never planned to get married and the twins already considered Jasmina their honorary mother.

"Is that really necessary?" he asked. "I don't mean to discredit the tradition, but would you really want the twins to take on your name? We are already going to be related by marriage."

"It isn't just the taking on of the Zaeem name," Jasmina continued. "If you consented to have the twins adopted into the Zaeem family….they would be blood adopted."

Well of all the things he expected to hear, _that _certainly wasn't one of them.

"Blood adoption means they would not only take on the family name, but the physical characteristics of a Zaeem as well. Essentially it would be as if I had birthed them instead of well…Lily."

Severus took a deep breath, suddenly feeling the need to sit down. He had heard of blood adoption ceremonies before but it had been so far out of his range of interest he had never felt the need to research it.

Now he wished he had.

"So…..so they would look like you?" he asked, feeling a little dazed.

"Yes," Jasmina said almost reluctantly. "Because their hair color is black that would not change and any physical contribution they have from you wouldn't change either. But any genetic inheritance they received from….Lily….would be gone."

"So for example, they'd have your eyes?" Severus asked.

"Precisely."

This was a lot to take in. There was nothing Severus would have loved more than to make Jasmina the twins mother which they were essentially doing through marriage. But to make it seem as if Lily had never given birth to them…..that was a lot to take in.

He had released his love for Lily long ago, but at the same time, the twins were a part of her as callous as she had been to him. He very rarely talked about Lily with the twins.

Didn't they at least deserve a chance to know who she was before they became someone else's children?

"You don't need to make a decision right now," Jasmina hurried to reassure him. "And it is entirely up to you. I will be abide by whatever you decide."

Severus absently ran a hand through his hair. "I think I should talk with the twins first and see what they think. I don't have the fondest memories of Lily, but that is somewhat beside the point. If they decide that this is something that they want to do….well then we will go from there."

"Fair enough. You should know though however that if you consent to have them blood adopted, their names would change as well."

That brought him up short. "You mean they wouldn't be known as Henry and Ria anymore?"

"No, because the magic of Isis still resides in our hope her magic would accept them into the family and essentially it is that magic that would give them new names."

Severus was quiet for a very long time. In truth he wasn't sure what to think. He had known his children as Henry and Ria for the last five years and if he consented this would be the third time their names would be changed since their birth.

To have to go from Harry and Isabelle, to Henry and Ilaria to whatever name the family magic picked out was a bit much to take in.  
"Can I think about that too?" Severus asked. "Changing their names again does seem a little drastic and I think I need to process it."

"Very well."

The two resumed their walk and Severus decided to move on to another aspect of the wedding. They would think back on the subject of adoption later.

"Has your father told you where we are to be living after the wedding?" he asked.

"He has left the decision up to us," she replied. "There are many empty palaces and temples on the Zaeem property. We have only to choose one we like and it is ours."

Severus nodded. "And have you told him about you coming with me to England when the wedding is over to track down the remaining Horcruxes?"

"I have. He will be standing by in case we need him to come to our assistance if we discover one that we cannot destroy."

"Good."

"Have you sent out the invitations to whom you wish to invite?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "Mina, there are only three people in my life outside of Egypt that I care for. My aunt and my cousin are two of them and Minerva McGonagall is the other. They will be the only ones outside of Egypt that will be making an appearance."

"Are you sure there is no one else?" the Egyptian asked looking at him keenly.

"Positive. There is a reason that I left Egypt and the people that I have left behind is a direct testament to how much I loathed the place.

"That had more to do with the school that I was in. All of the friends that I made were Death Eaters later in life and I barely escaped from the school without joining them. If it hadn't been for Professor McGonagall – "

He cut himself off for a moment and sighed. "If it hadn't been for the only teacher in school who believed in my talent, I probably would have joined them. Minerva was adamant however that I leave this place behind and find someone who would appreciate the gifts that I had because the Dark Lord would use them for evil. She told me I should use them for good. Minerva McGonagall is the only good memory I have of Hogwarts. Even the ones of Lily have gone sour."

Jasmina said nothing but simply squeezed his hand. "I can see why now that you don't want the twins to go there."

"It's not just the atmosphere I don't want them in," Severus elaborated. "Hogwarts doesn't even come close to the most academically inclined school in Europe. Teachers like Minerva and Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout really try but it's the matter of the headmaster that is the problem. I'd find ways to remove him if I could, but he has too many titles and connections. There needs to be one great sinful thing that someone catches him in and then we can lay a lawsuit at his feet. Until then, my hands are tied."

Jasmina fell silent as she pondered what he had said. "You don't think that we'll run into him when we return to England do you?"

"Merlin, I hope not. It's one of the reasons I'm glad we'll be married before then and the twins will be staying here. The school where Director Mubarak is seems to be a lot more academically inclined and well geared towards those more gifted students."

"Indeed, besides my father the director is someone I have a very high regard for. He is powerful and does not pick favorites among his students. He and the rest of the teachers at the Isis Institute of Sorcery will push the twins to their fullest potential."

"Good, now instead of focusing on what happens six years from now, how about we focus on three weeks from now. How are the wedding plans coming?"

Egyptian wedding ceremonies, especially in the magical culture of the country were extremely elaborate and complex. The bride's family was supposed to do all the work while all the groom had to do was wear the appropriate wedding attire and show up to the designated spot on time.

Ironically not much different from Muggle weddings.

Severus knew that the wedding would be held on the Zaeem property at a spot that had not yet been revealed to him and that there would be food after and he was expected to get to know every single member of Jasmina's enormous family. She had at least one hundred family members that he knew of as well as various close family friends and extended family coming from all over Egypt.

And that wasn't supposed to make him nervous.

He only had three people coming compared to his bride to be who had at least a hundred.

_Get a grip Severus, you're getting married not being sent to prison for life._

Ironically he was both terrified and ecstatic. After Lily, the concept of getting married let alone meeting someone hadn't even entered his brain because it seemed too fantastical. His main priority had been following his passion and raising the twins.

And now it seemed like every dream he hadn't expected had come true and then some.

So yeah, he could deal with a little nerves.

Because in three weeks it wouldn't matter anymore….he'd be the happiest he had ever been in his entire life.

Ω

Minerva McGonagall was grading papers one afternoon one week before the term ended and summer began when all of a sudden she was startled by a tapping on her office window.

Looking up, she saw a majestic ebony falcon sitting on the sill of the window with a letter attached to its leg.

Frowning at the strange but beautiful bird that she had never seen before she got up and opened the window.

Immediately, the falcon flew in and landed on her desk. Its wings were tipped with gold along with its beak and its eyes were a deep amber which blinked intelligently at her. It held out its leg so she could untie the letter.

Upon taking hold of the paper, McGonagall raised an eye at the unfamiliar but elaborate seal which bore the emblem of an Arabian stallion. She knew right away it had come from Egypt but besides Severus she didn't know anyone else there.

Curiosity mounting, she broke the seal and pulled out a thick scroll of papyrus before adjusting her spectacles and reading the words on the page.

_Dear Minerva_

_If this were a formal invitation it wouldn't be written in my own hand. But since you are someone who is near to my heart I insisted that I be the one to pen this personally. I wish to invite you to my wedding in Egypt which is in three weeks' time. I know that this may come as a shock to you but I have met a local woman that I have known very well for the past year and we have decided to marry as soon as the term at the Institute is out. I know that classes will be finished in a week at Hogwarts so it will not conflict with your schedule but I very much wish that you would be here to attend this significant event. My bride's family, the Zaeems will be hosting all guests on their estate in the weeks leading up to the wedding._

_As you know Egyptian wedding ceremonies are very elaborate and between you and me, extremely over the top. But tradition is very important to my in laws and thus it is important to me. _

_Ramses, the bird we are sending you will await your reply, he will not leave unless it is with a letter on his leg. _

_Thank you for the information about the prophecy and the books on Horcruxes you sent, they have been very helpful. My fiancé Jasmina and I have spent many hours poring over them trying to find information on ways they can be destroyed. We have reached a few conclusions regarding it but I will share more with you when you arrive in Egypt for the wedding._

_Jasmina dearly wishes to meet you as I have spoken of you often and the twins are eager to see you again._

_Should you be able to attend the wedding, simply bring the letter to your lips and whisper attending. Ensure that you have proper hold of the letter as the portkey in it will activate in ten seconds. It will take you to the entrance hall of the Institute where I will be waiting to receive you and take you to the Zaeem property._

_Please reply as soon as you receive this letter._

_Warmest regards_

_Severus Snape Andronicus and Jasmina Neferteri Zaeem._

Minerva sat back and dropped her spectacles on the desk feeling a little bewildered. She hadn't even known that Severus was seeing someone much less getting married. He was a young man who had always played with his cards very close to his chest, but he had an entire deck of aces up his sleeve with this one.

_I must go, _she thought. _Severus was one of my most talented and gifted students. He was worth ten of James Potter that dunderhead. Many of the days he was in this school I wish he were in my house or perhaps that I were the head of Slytherin. I would have expelled James Potter ten times over for the amount of stunts he pulled in this school. _

She nodded again. _Yes I will go. This will be poetic justice for Severus. In a way he will finally have the last laugh and he deserves far more than that. I will wrap up some school business this week and then I will go. Albus does not need to know where I am going nor when._

This decided, she tucked the letter away into her pocket and patted it absently before going back to marking some end of term papers.

This was not a letter that would be leaving her side for the next week.

If Albus got his hands on it…..well there would be hell to pay.

His.

Ω

A week went by before Severus even knew that Sunday had passed and before he knew it, it was a week until his wedding. Exams at the Institute had concluded which he had performed reasonably well on and the guests of the Zaeem family were beginning to arrive from all over Egypt.

The first day they began to arrive was the night that an enormous party was thrown on the terrace overlooking the river and everyone was decked out in the finest they had brought with them.

Jasmina had ensured that Severus was attired in a long black robe that was clasped at the shoulders with golden fasteners and he had a single thin arm band on his upper left bicep. She had also made him sit down so she could spend at least an hour combing through his long black hair until it was glossy and shone.

The twins were ecstatic that they got to play with their friends again who were soon going to be their cousins and Severus couldn't deny that everything looked splendid.

The clothing color of choice seemed to be black or gold or both. The hair of the women was adorned with gold and shot through with black pearls. Because of the heat of the day, most of the shoulders of the women were bare and the skin of their upper arms was decked with golden bands. Their skin was olive toned and soft looking.

The men wore similar adornments, yet most wore black. Their heads were bare yet it was long and brushed the tops of their shoulders with a slight curl.

There were many children playing between the legs of the adults and on the corners of the terraces. Sparks of light were cast into the night air and the atmosphere was one of laughter and peace.

The four large bronze braziers had been lit and were shooting golden sparks into the night sky that was full of stars.

Severus could hear the sounds of tambourine and lyre from the plucking of strings. In the backgrounds he could hear the rush of the river which provided excellent background noise. Children were laughing and playing and hunting for the golden butterflies in the background and Severus decided to take those few moments to himself at the edge of the terrace to take a deep breath.

There were red reed mats every few inches similar to the ones at the Institute that Severus and his classmates sat upon to listen to the potions master and to stir their cauldrons. They lined the outside of the marble patio and outside of the manmade structure, Severus beheld papyrus and lotus plants and bushes which separated the terrace from the water of the river.

Just inside of the square of reed mats there were long low tables laden with food, there wonderful smell was permeating the air and making Severus's mouth water.

He saw lamb and cooked fowl, as well as goat, quail, gazelle and crane and fish. There were all variety and manner of vegetables and fruits sitting in bowls and ceremonial dishes.

There were cheeses and breads as well as beans and lentils.

Severus was very glad that after a year he was finally fluent in Arabic as were the twins and they only spoke in English now to keep up their grasp on the language. They would be five soon and language skills were important to Severus.

The only thing he wished were slightly different was the fact that the many relatives and friends from all over Egypt had spoken in rapid fire Arabic all their lives and when they greeted him when they first began to trickle in, he had to ask them to repeat themselves sometimes twice.

He got a few odd looks because of it too, but he gritted his teeth.

_They're just here for the wedding Severus. As soon as you and Mina join hands they will travel back to the far ends of Egypt and you will only have to see them at family reunions._

There were however, some of Jasmina's family that Severus did like very much.

There was her godfather by the name of Akhenaton who had a talent for making inanimate things animate. He won big points with the twins when he brought their toys to life and made them fly.

He was a fascinating man who was very humble but had a very dry sarcastic sense of humor that instantly had put Severus on edge, but after spending a few hours with him, he had begun to loosen the young man up. He seemed to love the twins as well who were no less enamoured with his abilities.

He was not a Zaeem, but rather was from Hatshepsut's side bearing the name Rasheed. He was about a century and a half old but behaved as if he were half that age. He loved to laugh and play with the many cousins and all of the children adored him.

Then there was her aunt Twosret who was a warm and compassionate woman who just drew others to her like magnets. She was the one who shooed all the other aunts and cousins away from Severus and when they were shooting questions at him rapid fire about the wedding.

"Now don't you worry about a thing _habibi_," she said in heavily accented English. "I will keep those _alnnusur_ away from you for the rest of the night so you can enjoy you evening. Tonight is for you after all."

Severus smiled at her and gave a breathless laugh, starting to feel a little more relaxed. "Do I look that nervous?"

"We have a saying Egypt, if you do not know if the Nile is full of crocodiles….do not cross. You look as if someone has thrown you into the Nile and didn't check for crocodiles."

If it was a joke it must have worked because Severus laughed loud and hearty, feeling the last of the tension ebb away.

"I didn't expect to get married again," he explained to her when the laughter had subsided. "But then I didn't expect the twins' mother to die and having to be a father before I was ready either."

"We are never ready for what life throws our way _habibi,_" Twosret said. She linked her arm through his. "But that does not mean what life has to throw our way is bad. Enjoy it as it comes. The gods have blessed you and Jasmina and this family."

Severus gave her a tentative smile. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it. I just don't like having a lot of unknowns in my life. I grew up like that and I don't want to go into this marriage being uncertain about anything."

"Are these doubts about Jasmina?" Twosret asked. "Or about yourself?"

That gave Severus pause. He knew he didn't have any doubts about Mina being the one he wanted to marry. But what he did have doubts about was the prophecy and whether or not going into this life would be more dangerous than the one he was coming from.

"Neither," he said with certainty. "It's just an unknown situation. I've never thought in the last five years that I would be married and have two children to raise."

"And do you feel as if you've done right by those children?" Twosret asked.

"…..I have," Severus replied taking a moment to think back on the last five years and all the sacrifices he had made for the twins.

"Well then you have nothing to be uncertain about," Twosret replied gently. "Now put a smile on your face. This is a celebration."

She patted his cheek and turned to move back off through the crowd.

Severus observed the crowd for a moment before plunging back in and engaging once more in niceties.

There were quite a few older men with long white beards in the Rasheed side of the family with wild white hair and black tunics that were clasped at their shoulders as well as thick golden armbands.

The woman were dressed in golden tunics with woven sandals and their hair was piled high on their heads. Gold danced on their ears and wrists and fingers. Something that

Severus was becoming aware of were the painted designs on their arms and hands. It looked a bit like Indian henna designs but were much more vibrant and seemed as if they could burst to life if one looked at them long enough.

Just then there came a sound echoing above the din like the musical tinkling of bells and all at once all conversation stopped.

Severus looked up from his goblet to find Zafeer standing in the middle of the terrace tapping a utensil against a goblet of wine.

"Good evening everyone," he said in Arabic. "And thank you all for making the long journey to be with us on this very special occasion to celebrate my youngest daughter's engagement."

The audience began to applaud and there was laughter and a few whispers words exchanged before Zafeer continued.

"If I might call the _eurus _and _earis_ forward to make a toast so we might begin the evening?"

He looked around the crowd for a moment and having spied Severus, he beckoned him forward. The potions master felt a hand slip into his and looked down with a smile to see that Mina had found her way back to him and they were walking up to her father together.

When they stopped in front of Zafeer he smiled warmly at both of them. "It is my great pleasure to announce my daughter Jasmina and her intended Severus Andronicus!"

There was a roar of approval from the crowd gathered and Zafeer placed a golden goblet of wine in Severus and Jasmina's hands.

At her direction, Severus linked his arm through Jasmina's and both raised their goblets to their lips with their arms crossing the others.

As soon as they had sipped, the applause began again and the smile on Jasmina's face brought light to Severus's too.

After a time however, the applause drew to a close. And then Zafeer turned to the rest of the patrons.

"My friends, now that the last of our guests have arrived, we may partake of the meal before us. But first, the night must be christened." He stopped here and clenched his right fist into a ball before it started to shake.

No correction, he started to shake his hand and it began to move so fast it reminded Severus of the wing beat of a hummingbird.

After around ten seconds of this, Zafeer opened his fist and a golden and black shape leapt from his palm and into the night sky. It whirled for a moment and then spread itself wide and Severus saw with astonishment that it had turned into a massive falcon. It hovered in the air for a moment until it dissolved into a shower of golden sparkles which fell onto the upturned faces of the dinner guests.

Zafeer raised his hands and his voice seemed to be magically projected to it really resembled rolling thunder.

"Let the feast begin!"

There was a roar of approval and then the music began again.

"You don't appear too shell shocked," Jasmina teasingly observed when she looked at her intended.

"I think I'm getting the hang of all of these traditions that you have here," Severus replied laughing.

"Hmm and just think, by the time we are man and wife, you will be a veteran at it!"

"Well I don't know about that."

Ω

It truly was a magical night.

The food somehow just tasted better when it is eaten at your own engagement party and you are outside beneath the stars.

Wine flowed freely and there was music and laughter from all those gathered. Severus didn't manage to catch sight of the twins the entire evening but somehow he knew they were alright.

Jasmina didn't leave his side too often for which he was grateful as he was still adjusting to the difference in culture and language.

There was even dancing which Severus watched in enthralled fascination. The dances were very fluid and he was a little shocked when the entire family got up and proceeded to join in the dance. They would all wrap their arms around the shoulders of the person who was on their right and left side and that person would do the same and so on and so forth.

And then to the beat of the music they would dance back and forth. They would even sometimes sing. Severus didn't know the song so he would just move back and forth along with everyone else and sometimes hum when he had the beat of it down.

All in all, it was a night where they ate drank and were merry. Severus almost didn't mind that the feasts were supposed to continue every night up until the day he and Jasmina were supposed to get married.

Finally, when it appeared that the twins had had enough, Severus begged off to go help them and their cousins to bed along with Adil, and as soon as he was left, Jasmina was cornered by her aunts.

"He certainly is handsome isn't he?" Sekhmet gushed and Jasmina rolled her eyes at her aunt. Sekhmet had always had a love of gossip and if there was anything going on in the family she was the first to know about it.

"I'm not marrying him for his looks _eimm,_" she said.

"Of course not _habibi,_ but they certainly don't hurt anything do they? And its about time! I was beginning to wonder when you were going to marry!"

Hatshepsut gave her daughter some serious cut eye when Jasmina opened her mouth to reply with a snide remark.

"We are very happy with Severus Sekhmet, he is a brilliant young man with a great deal of intelligence and he has had nothing but respect for this family since we met him a year ago."

"Well that's all well and good dear," Sekhmet replied with all the tact of a bull in a china shop. "But what do you know of his background, his upbringing? These are all important things to know."

"I know everything about Severus's back ground _eimm,_" Jasmina replied calmly. "There hasn't been a thing he's kept from me."

"Well that's good _aleaziz,_ because you cannot go into a marriage with secrets. That would crumble the union instantly."

Just then, Sekhmet spied another person she had yet to speak to during the evening. "If you will excuse me _al'atfal, _I just saw another one of my cousins."

She hurried off without waiting for a response and Jasmina turned to her mother, both eyebrows raised. "Remind me why we invited her again?"

"Because like it or not, she is still family," Hatshepsut said. "And we do not turn our backs on family, no matter how exasperating they might be."

"I only invited her as a favor to father," Jasmina muttered under her breath. "If it were up to me she would remain in Cairo and get only an annual holiday card from us."

"Careful _habibi, _your sarcasm is showing."

Jasmina rolled her eyes and went to find her father. He had told her that by the end of the night he and her brothers would have found a spot for the wedding in two weeks.

Severus's guests were supposed to arrive tomorrow and some rooms had already been put aside by the Pygmines for them. He mentioned he had only three guests coming from outside of Egypt and Jasmine did think that a little sad that most of his family and friends passed from this world. But she also did think it a good idea that only one person from England were invited.

Jasmina found her father standing at the edge of the terrace with a goblet in his hand talking to her eldest brother Mustafa. They both appeared to be in intense conversation and Jasmina paused a few feet away, waiting for an appropriate time to interrupt.

All of a sudden, Mustafa said something that made her pause.

"We need to act now father. The best way to eliminate the threat of Seth even attempting to make a return would be to eliminate the Children of Anubis."

"Mustafa you are talking about mass murder. None of the prophecies your grandfather have issued have ever come true. You would have blood on your hands for no reason."

"If the result would be the diversion of Chaos than that is reason enough to me."

"_Abni, _you do not know what you are proposing. You do realize that the Children of Anubis are just waiting for a reason to come after us, your sister in particular has a vetted interest in staying away from them and you know the reasons why. We _cannot _act until we have a reason to. We would be called before the _Alwazir Alkubraa_ on high treason and murder. I will not taint the name of this family by acting on foolish talk."

Mustafa sighed and nodded. "You are right father. I apologize. But do you not think this is something we should take before the _Alwazir Alkubraa_ even if it is bogus and grandfather's visions are wrong."

"Duly noted _abni,_ but we do not want to throw the whole country into panic if there may not be anything to panic about."  
"Father…..you don't think Grandfather's prophecy might come true do you?" Mustafa asked in a quiet voice.

"I…..don't know. But until we know anything for certain we are not going to act. Now enough of this talk. This is a time for celebration, it is your sister's wedding and I will near no more talk of prophecies the return of the gods and horcruxes."

"As you wish."

Mustafa gave their father a short bow and turned to walk back through the crowd of relatives.

Jasmina blinked and filed what she had heard away in her subconscious for later and approached her father.

"_Alab,_" she said tentatively. "You wanted to see me?"

"_Aibna,_" he said when he saw her. "Yes, your brothers and I have been looking for an appropriate spot for the ceremony to take place and there is one such place on the edge of the property. Do you remember the Osirion?"

Jasmina blinked. The Osirion had been an old temple, the oldest one on the edge of the property dedicated in ancient times to the worship of Osiris. No one used it anymore and it had since fallen into decay. But it had some beautiful groundwork in beautiful pale blue sandstone tiles and the pillars were still perfectly intact and had remained untouched. At just the right angle, the sun would come through the pillars and light the entire place in gold.

It would be the perfect place for a wedding.

"Of course," Jasmina whispered. "The Osirion would be perfect. Sunset would be the perfect time to be there. As the sun came through the pillars it would light the entire place perfectly. I would be the most exceptional setting."

"Those were my thoughts."

"Thank you _Alab,_" she said. "I will be sure to tell Severus when I see him in the morning. His guests will be arriving tomorrow and this is sure to put him in an even better mood."

She hurried off through the crowd and Zafeer watched her until she disappeared from sight.

_I sincerely hope this wedding puts us all in a better mood, _he thought to himself. _I think we could all use that right now._

Ω

"My word Severus, I can certainly see why you love this place."

It was the following morning and Severus had had to leave the Zaeem home a little early and go to the receiving hall of the Institute to pick up Professor McGonagall. His aunt and cousin would be arriving a few hours later so he took the next hour to show his favorite teacher around the Institute and gave her an overview of the classes that he had been taking for the past year and what he had been expected to learn.

All in all, she was very impressed with the curriculum and with the school where the twins were studying as well.

The school had let out for the summer a few days earlier and the twins were ecstatic because they knew that meant that Miss Mina was going to become their mother soon.

"And where is your bride to be right now Severus?" Minerva asked as they walked down the main hallway of the Institute.

"She is still at the family home. There's still some business she needs to take care of before the wedding," Severus explained. "And it's not something that I can help with. Ancient Egyptian wedding traditions are very complex. Essentially I have to wear what I'm given and show up to the proper place at the proper time."

Jasmina had told him about the location her father had proposed earlier in the morning and he quite agreed that it sounded great.

But then any place on the Zaeem property would have been ideal.

"So essentially it's a bit like a scaled down version of a Muggle wedding?" Minerva asked giving him a smile and he smirked back.

"Something like that, but my intended's family are very big on ceremony and tradition. I suppose it comes from having a family name that's been around for a few thousand years."

"I did some research on them because the name sounded very familiar, and this family you're marrying into is quiet impressive Severus. I can think of many purebloods back in England who would sell their souls to marry into a family with a legacy like the one you're marrying into."

Severus grimaced as he thought of some of those families to which she was referring like the Blacks and the Malfoys and the Parkinson's.

"It is impressive, I was similarly surprised when I learned of the story a few months ago. To think to have ancestors going back to the time of the pharaohs, it was a little astonishing."

By this time, they had reached the statue of Isis and Severus grinned when he saw his brother in law waiting for them.

"Minerva, I'd like to introduce you to my brother in law Adil. He's going to be taking us to the family home," Severus explained. "They haven't added me and the twins to the blood wards yet so it wouldn't be a good idea if we were to go there ourselves."

Minerva agreed and after Adil transported them to the desert and the chariot arrived, Severus kept an eye on the stern teacher's face as she beheld all the wonders of the ancient world come to life.

It was one of those rare moments when he wished he had a camera for the look of gobsmacked awe on the professor's face was a delight to behold. Severus privately wondered if he had looked like that the first time he had been shown the Zaeem property.

It was only when they had been let off the boat over the river that the speechlessness upon Minerva lifted and she turned to him.

"Severus, this is mind-blowing! Of all places you were going to live I never thought someplace like this would be one of them."

The potions master chuckled. "Being descended from pharaohs and priests does afford one a certain deal of wealth and prestige."

"I should say so!" Minerva said looking at the property from where she was standing on the stairs when she had gotten off the boat. "A place like this would make the Malfoy and the Parkinsons together green with envy!"

"Then let us be glad they are not here to see it. I don't really fancy seeing someone else turn a shade of lime without feeling sick myself!"

"Oh Severus, you've returned. Good."

Minerva McGonagall looked up and noted with surprise the most beautiful woman she had ever seen coming toward them. She had the long dark hair and olive toned skin that was so characteristic of Middle Eastern women but it was her golden eyes that struck her.

She remembered seeing the young man Adil with amber colored eyes and it struck her that it must have been a family trait.

"Minerva, I would like to introduce you to my intended, Jasmina Zaeem."

After getting over her initial shock, Minerva introduced herself as well and followed the young couple into the most magnificent palace she had ever seen.

In the salmon and turquoise colored atrium with the open skylight, Jasmina led the transfiguration teacher up a series of stone steps to the second floor. The hallways in this floor were high and lined with pillars while the walls were painted with iridescent hieroglyphs which Minerva had to stop herself three times from examining.

"They are part of our security system professor," Jasmina explained when she saw her looking. "Each one can be summoned to life if we are in dire straits but they also serve as an alerting system to let us know if there is anyone unfriendly approaching the property."

"That's incredible!" the professor observed. "Severus told me that the property was well guarded but I didn't know the protections were this intricate."

"The hieroglyphs have been around for the last few thousand years," Jasmina explained as she walked along. "The entire property is shrouded in wards, but in a way these are like a Muggle computer system in that they paint us a picture of what the threat is and where it is coming from."

Minerva was astonished at the efficiency of the Egyptian wizards. She had had a single contact here during the war five years earlier and he had been Director Navid Mubarak who Severus was currently studying under. The man looked at the war from a perspective of a man who had seen much conflict and was used to breaking it down to its bare bones.

Minerva had honestly wished he had been there to help them deal with Riddle. The so called Dark Lord would have been finished in under five minutes.

Jasmina turned right and showed her to a room that Minerva swore had been used to keep a harem in years past. The area by the door and leading up to the large bench like bed was made of marble in opaque white tiles shot through with veins of pale blue which seemed to be the theme of the room. Just ahead of the bed were two steps spanning the length of the room leading up to a balcony area that existed just beyond four pillars leading outside. There was a fire place directly opposite the bed which had already been lit and made McGonagall feel as if she were about stay in a five star hotel rather than a home.

In addition to the physical comfort there was also a bowl of exotic fruit and cheese sitting in the middle of the room.

"Please make yourself comfortable," Jasmina said. "England is a long ways away and I'm sure you're tired from the journey."

She gave Minerva a slight bow as if the teacher were some sort of great lady and left the room swiftly.

_Merlin Severus, _McGonagall thought as she looked around. _You must have the luck of the ages to marry into a family like this. With these sort of connections you'll never have to worry about Albus ever again!_

Ω

Later that afternoon, Antonius and Emilia arrived and had much the same reaction to the Zaeem property that Minerva had had. Antonius was already pestering Severus to set him up with one of Jasmina's cousins and Emilia was still looking about the place with a sense of awe and shock.

When everyone had met Jasmina's father and mother as well as the Director of the Institute, Zafeer suggested they retire to the terrace for a more private conversation seeing as how everyone gathered had received in some manner though perhaps not entirely the story of the Horcruxes and how they were trying to be resolved.

Once they had all settled down on the reed mats for guests with a generous lunch surrounding them provided by the Pygmines, Zafeer relayed in exacting detail everything that had happened since the trip to Giza to find the Children of Anubis. He included the prophecy in the tale as well as the trip to Alexandria and a revelation of what Henry and Ria's powers were and how they had been used by the twins in the last few years or so.

Needless to say, both Emilia and Minerva were utterly gob smacked, Tony a little less more so since he had been filled in on some of this by Severus in the past few months.

"And you think that this god is set to make a return?" Minerva asked once she had heard about the prophecy of Seth. It was a little much for her to wrap her head around. In England they were stuffy and very traditional, but never once had the ancient gods, Norse Egyptian or otherwise entered her mind as to where magic had come from.

"I know not dear lady," Zafeer said. "It is all mere speculation at this point, but it is a chance we must not catch ourselves unawares by. Should Seth return, he would unleash Chaos and bathe this entire world in darkness. He has had a grudge against this family since his demise at the hands of Isis and Horus and a god does not forget offenses against him."

Minerva nodded already vowing to do as much research about this as was politely possible between the wedding celebrations.

"So what does this mean for Severus and Jasmina?" Emilia asked.

"Nothing more than it calls for us to be greater prepared for what the future might hold," Hatshepsut explained gently. "This is no cause for panic and we must not let it color our view point of the future. It may not even come true."

"Forgive me but even knowing that there is a possibility of something like this happening does little to make me feel relieved," Emilia said.  
"That is understandable," Zafeer said. "But because Severus is now becoming a part of this family, he and the twins will have the full protection of the Zaeems."

"Well that is relieving."

"Our main purpose is eliminating the Horcruxes created by Riddle first and foremost as that is the most prominent concern, after which we will be going after the Children of Anubis," Zafeer explained.

"That sounds as agreeable as possible," Antonius observed. "Now on to more important matters, what is this that Severus has told me about the Zaeems adopting the twins?"

Now that required a whole other round of explanations which had to be completely vetted by Emilia and Minerva and they had a few concerns which they needed to see to. Once they got it through their heads that the twins wouldn't look like Lily anymore and would take on Jasmina's characteristics, everyone fell silent.

"Have you talked to the twins about this Severus?" Emilia asked finally.

"I have and once I explained that they would look more like Jasmina than they would their birth mother, they were all for it."

"Alright," Emilia said carefully. "I just don't want them to have any regrets about changing their appearance when they're older and want to know about Lily should they ask."

"I would be more than willing to talk about Lily with them should they ask when they're older," Severus replied amiably.

"Good," Hatshepsut said. "But that is not something that needs to be taken care of until after the wedding has taken place."

The men soon left, leaving the women to talk about the location of the wedding, who would be officiating the ceremony and what would happen in terms of the feast afterword.

It was worked out that Mubarak would be performing the ceremony as vizier was just one of the many titles he held and in ancient times it had always been the vizier to perform the ceremony if a pharaoh were to be married.

The day was capped off with a chariot ride touring the Zaeem property to the Osirion so that Severus's guests could see where they would be getting married which included a trip through the desert and a good deal of views of waterfalls as well.

Tony, Emilia and Minerva were in awe of the property and when they arrived at the Osirion in a number of chariots, their shock turned to one of slack jawed incredulity.

Severus would himself admit that the temple was one that captured the glory of the ages past because despite it being devoid of a roof, the floors and the pillars that flanked it were completely intact and as they had arrived at sunset the sun was just beginning to shine through the pillars which lit the entire area in pure gold.

"If there ever was a place to get married that is perfect," Emilia said quietly a touch of envy coloring her tone. "Then this would be it."

All three of Severus's guests retired early that night after having had a very long day of travel and decided not to engage in the festivities until the following night.

More and more Egyptian family were coming from all over Egypt and the Middle East and so with the music people danced more freely, the wine flowed like a river and the food seemed even more rich and delectable every night.

_It cannot be good for my health eating like this a week before my wedding, _Severus thought to himself wryly.

Jasmina and her mother were being very secretive about the details so the only thing Severus knew with absolute certainty was that Tony would be standing up with him for the ceremony, and where it would take place.

That was it.

Like he thought, it wasn't much different from the Muggle weddings in terms of the groom not knowing a thing about what was about to happen.

He had had quite a few conversations with his aunt and cousin and Minerva since Zafeer had explained the whole Horcrux business to them. They were solidly behind his plan to return to England after the wedding to hunt for the Horcruxes, Minerva even wanted to help with the hunting for them.

Severus would have two weeks for a honey moon and so that the twins could be blood adopted by the Zaeems and then he would leave them with their maternal grandparents and be off with his new bride to hunt for soul fragments.

It seemed like an unpleasant prospect after having a honeymoon in beautiful Egypt with the woman of his dreams but like a wound they couldn't let it fester any longer than necessary or they would all pay the price.

Severus however determined to put that out of his mind for the next two weeks while he got ready for his nuptials and wrote his vows.

Normally in ancient times vows wouldn't be said as wedding among royalty or the wealthy were more political than anything else, it was a binding contract rather than a declaration of love. In a way though, this marriage encompassed both aspects. Severus would be guaranteed the protection and name of the Zaeem family wherever he went and so would the twins and at the same time he was marrying a woman he loved.

Now political connections hadn't been on his mind when he had proposed to the beautiful Egyptian, but after when he had learned just what he was marrying into it had served to be a bonus.

Two days before the wedding, Zafeer pulled his future son in law aside and told him what he could expect to happen on his wedding day.

Because they were marrying at sunset, Severus was expected to be at the Osirion with all the males in his party one hour before.

Severus had been quite surprised when he was preparing for the wedding to find out from his intended that in ancient times a couple were considered married when they moved in with each other and that there wasn't really any pomp and circumstance. Egyptian men had regarded women very highly and expected love to come from a marriage no matter if it was voluntary or arranged.

He was glad to know that he at least had that in common with his ancient counterparts.

In the ancient Egyptian wizarding culture, giving a woman to a man was considered a great event and there would be a ceremony whereby the woman would be given to the man in a ceremony where all her and his relatives were present and there would be flowers and incense sprinkled over the young couple and gifts to aid them in their lives together.

Severus was astonished that the ancient culture at least in terms of weddings was so like the modern culture.

It was a welcome prospect to say the least.

Ω

The morning of his wedding, Severus woke bright and early despite the fact that he would be married in less than twelve hours.

As per ancient tradition he was not allowed to see Jasmina for the whole day, a way of keeping the wedding even more of a secret from him.

In fact, despite Ria even Emilia and Minerva were gone and he found out from Adil that it was tradition that not only was the bride to be kept from the groom but all the other women as well. They would most likely be getting ready for the wedding.

He was to spend the time before the wedding in meditation upon his future with his new bride.

Privately Severus thought that part was a little ridiculous, he had already had plenty of time to think on how much he loved Jasmina and wanted to marry her so why was more time needed when marrying her was exactly what he wanted to do instead of just think about it.

He would never say that however.

Most of the day was spent chasing after the twins and getting them to calm down because of how excited they were about Miss Mina becoming their mother.

"Remember Henry, we can't call her Mummy in front of the other students," Ria said sternly to her brother as they were playing by the riverside with their cousins as their father watched. "It would be impolite."

"I _know _Ria."

Severus smirked at his children. He thought they were more excited about the prospect of having a mother than they were about getting to live here on the Zaeem property which was a pretty sweet deal in and of itself.

Finally, as the sun began to sink towards the horizon, one of the Pygmines appeared and whisked the children away to get ready for the wedding leaving Severus alone with his thoughts until Adil and Tony came to get him.

Severus was taken to the inner hallway of the temple beneath the statue of Isis and told that before he could be married, he must bathe and symbolically wash away his past life in order to enter this new one.

Again, it was all a little strange, but Severus wasn't going to turn his nose up on tradition.

They left him alone for a time to bathe and cleanse himself, and after a moment's hesitation, Severus shed his clothes and stepped hesitantly into the water.

His first sensation was one of surprising warmth which he hadn't expected the water to be. The second sensation was one of mild stinging as if there was a chemical in the water that was used for cleansing and it was now cleaning out his own pores as well.

It wasn't an unpleasant sensation so Severus focused on cleaning himself up and getting ready for the ceremony.

The third thing he became aware of was that the water carried an odd vibrating tone as if there was a machine in the water causing it to hum. Try as he might though, he couldn't see anything.

Oddly enough there were a series of golden and bronze fish in the water who became curious about him and swam over to investigate.

The tingling sensation in the water as if his skin were being gently scoured intensified and Severus began to understand that it was the fish who were releasing the chemical into the water as if it were a natural disinfectant and exfoliate rolled into one.

After a time the fish became used to his presence and left him alone, but the scouring sensation continued.  
Severus began to literally feel as if he were being cleansed from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.

When he could stand it no longer, he waded to the edge of the canal and took hold of the towel that had been left for him. Stepping out of the canal, Severus dried off and put on the coarse brown tunic that had been left for him.

From there, Tony and Adil came back and retrieved him where he was taken down the main hallway and into the main temple where there was a statue of Isis. His hair was trimmed and he was dressed in the ceremonial tunic of the ancient pharaohs on their weddings days.

This particular wardrobe consisted of a tunic that left him bare from the waist up. It was thick black linen that had a wide golden corn made of braided ceremonial thread around his waist and he was then given two golden bracelets to wear upon his forearms which went from his wrist to the middle of his forearm.

Finally he was given a golden collar to wear upon his neck that had several blue jewels embedded in its face.

After was given some ceremonial incense which was sprinkled all over his skin as a means of purification.

Finally Severus was led out of the palace by Tony and Adil and the rest of Jasmina's brothers who had all gone through the same ceremonial cleansing when they were married. They were split up into four chariots that then took off for the Osirion.

"Nervous?" Adil asked as it was he and Tony and Severus in one chariot.

Severus gave a wry laugh and rubbed the side of his face which had been recently shaved. "A little I suppose but I think that's a normal way to feel on one's wedding day."

Tony chuckled. "I have to give you credit Sev, there were times when I wondered if you would ever find a woman and settle down. You were too much of a workaholic to ever think about anything other than the potions and the kids."

"Thanks Tony, the amount of credit you give me is astounding."

Antonius laughed, but Severus had seen him eyeing one of Jasmina's cousins at the party a few nights earlier and had a feeling it wouldn't be long before his Casanova of a cousin settled down as well.

The rest of the journey was quiet as the three of them settled their minds on different things, Antonius on the property, Adil on the prophecy and Severus on the wedding.

They flew through the jungles and over sandy plains and over streams and past waterfalls that had lingered on the property for thousands of years.

Finally, there came through the jungle, cutting through it for several hundred yards, a marble pathway.

"We're getting close," Adil muttered as he cracked the reins again.

The horses whinnied and pulled the craft even faster and within a few minutes, they were out into the dying light of the sun once more.

Severus lifted a hand to shield his eyes and felt his lips pull back from his teeth in a wide smile when he observed the Osirion.

Even though he had already seen it before, there was a certain magnificence to observing something like this when he knew something special was going to take place there.

The troupe of himself and Jasmina's brother pulled up just outside of the Osirion which had twelve steps leading up to the line of pillars that surrounded the interior of the temple. The flooring inside was all pale marble and golden toasted sandstone and there were even bits of green limestone on the pillars from ages past. There were garlands of sweet henna and lotus wrapped around the pillars themselves casting a smell of incense into the air. There were also four large bronze braziers in each corner of the temple that were already burning with a curious blue fire as if they were enchanted. Severus would later learn that they had been charmed to keep the insects away.

At the front of the temple there was a large stone statue of Osiris god of the dead and at his feet there was a large circular pool upon which floated louts flowers. Severus could even spot a few of the fish similar to the ones that the Zaeems kept back at the palace.

Because there was no roof, the temple was completely open to the rosy and periwinkle sky as the sun was beginning to set.

Severus glanced up at it as he and the male entourage entered the temple and got themselves into position for the wedding.

An hour seemed to fly by and before Severus knew it, he could hear the sounds of horses and wheels upon the sand as the chariots of the females pulled up outside the Osirion.

The moment those sounds were heard, the musicians who had arrived even before the male party began to play their music on their harps tambourines and lyres.

It was always a tradition at ancient Egyptian weddings for there to be music present when the bride came through the doors to walk towards her husband.

Zafeer who had come on his own with Mubarak and was dressed similarly to Severus though his torso was covered raised both hands to the heavens and murmured quick words in Arabic that Severus didn't quite catch.

Instantly the clouds that were scattered haphazardly across the sky, cleared and there was nothing behind but pale blues and rose tones.

There was quiet clapping from the male guests as the females had not entered yet and the ringing of bells could be heard throughout the whole of the Osirion.

Finally, Zafeer disappeared among the guests as he was not part of the ceremony and Severus who was standing at the front of the Osirion with Antonius and Adil standing behind him as his witnesses for the marriage were left up there.

Mubarak who was officiating the ceremony gave his most talented pupil a small smile. "Are you ready Severus?"

"As ready as I'll ever be sir," the young man replied causing a low rumbling laugh to come from the older man.

The music grew slightly louder and Henry and Ria appeared. They were dressed in white linen with similar golden bracelets on their wrists and sandals on their feet and were holding bronze colored pillows with golden tassels in their hands. On each pillow were glistening golden rings engraved with ancient runes. The rings were glowing slightly as if they had been charmed and Severus wondered curiously what spells had been attached to them.

Once the twins had reached the front of the Osirion, they both bowed low to their father and the director and then Henry went to stand to the left where Severus was and Ria to the right where Jasmina would be when she entered.

After that came the female witness that Jasmina had asked to stand with her. She had no sisters so her cousins stood in for that and both of them curtsied to Severus who returned the gesture with a bow when they got to the front of the temple.

By now the guests that had filled the outer courtyard of the Osirion numbered around almost two hundred and all of them were utterly silent including Jasmina's somewhat obnoxious aunt Sekhmet.

Finally, as the long haunting tune played on the flute type instrument of the musicians drew to a crescendo, all the invited guests turned toward the back of the Osirion in respect as the bride herself entered.

Mentally, Severus had been keeping track in the past year how many times he had been surprised since he had arrived in Egypt a year ago.

This time he wasn't surprised however.

He was speechless.

Jasmina was dressed simply in a dress of long white linen that brushed the ground and her sandaled feet as she walked and there were no golden bracelets upon her wrists.

Instead however, she bore the intricate markings of delicate golden flowers upon her skin as if they had been freshly painted not too long ago.

The designs were three golden flowers with delicate petals on each arm and they were connected by small black lines going all the way up to her shoulder.

There was a small rope of golden bells lying upon her tresses that had been left long and gave the effect of a jeweled crown.

Severus absently remembered that headdresses were a traditional part of an Egyptian ceremony especially in the magical culture of the country.

Other than the gold ring he had given her, she was wearing no other jewelry. The dress she had on seemed to shimmer with gold as if golden toasted sand had been thrown on it and there were no flowers in her hand, instead they were clasped in front of her.

Severus blinked and just managed to break out of his speechless stupor in time for her to get to the front of the Osirion and stand opposite him with a smile on her face.

Mubarak smiled at the both of them, glad these two young people had found each other across space and time.

"There is a saying in our ancient culture," he began in Arabic and Severus glanced over to see Hatshepsut translating for Emilia and Minerva. They were both decked out in the finest robes they had brought with them and Emilia looked like she was trying not to cry while Minerva was beaming with pride.

_Good._

"Some lives are linked across time…..connected by an ancient calling that echoes through the ages," Mubarak continued. "Time is something we are very familiar as sorcerers in this ancient land and we know full well the value of it. It gives me great pleasure to witness that time has brought together Severus Andronicus and Jasmina Zaeem. It brings me great pride to witness the growth that each of them have experienced over the last year and that we have gathered together on this occasion to witness this wonderful event."

Mubarak kept talking but for the most part Severus tuned it out, choosing instead to focus on the lovely woman before him that he was marrying.

She really did look radiant and was going to be an excellent mother to his children. In that instant, any doubts Severus had about marrying her right now or this being the right time faded away as he included his son and daughter in the mental picture he was getting in his head in that instant.

It was one of peace and prosperity as well as the four of them building a life together away from dark lords and vengeful gods and insane cultists. Just him and his wife and their children and her family working towards a better future while still celebrating the glories of the past.

It was a glorious vision and one Severus almost didn't want to come out of as he looked at Jasmina and imagined what was to come.

No vows were said as that kind of thing didn't happen at a traditional Egyptian ceremony especially during ancient times but Severus was okay with that. It was one less thing he had to stress about and he had the rest of his life to say everything he wanted to Jasmina anyway.

"And finally, it is the wish of all those gathered here today that your lives together be filled with happiness prosperity and love…..as long as you both shall live," Mubarak continued.

"But the first thing that marriage entails is the commitment to one another that the both of you have endeavored to invest. As a testament to that…"

He reached within the folds of his robes and withdrew a braided golden cord. It was glowing slightly as if it had been charmed and there was a small golden medallion bearing the effigy of a stallion on its hind legs.

Severus crossed his wrists one on top of the other and Jasmina did the same above his wrists and Mubarak bound their wrists together.

Finally he reached out a hand and placed it atop their bound wrists before saying words in Arabic.

"Yajuz ll alihat yubarik hdha alaittihad," he said which Severus knew to mean, _may the gods bless this union. _

"Qad tahwat tuetik hikmatan," he continued.

_May Thoth grant you wisdom._

"Qad 'iizis himaytk."

_May Isis protect you.._

"Qad hwrs yamnihuk alquww."

_May Horus grant you strength._

"Qad Ra tusaeiduk ealaa alnnumuww."

_May Re help you grow._

"Qad Hatahur yamnihk alfarah."

_May Hathor grant you joy._

"Qad 'uwzuris yamanahk hayatan tawilatan."

_May Osiris grant you long life._

"Qad Bayz tamnah lakum alssh."

_May Bes grant you health._

"Hatta nihayat 'ayam."

_Until the end of days. _

With these words, he finished binding the cord around their wrists in the combination that Severus knew to be the knot of Isis. It was a symbol of protection that he and Jasmina were now under as part of the Zaeem family that had been handed down through the blood of Isis.

When he pulled the knot tight, Mubarak laid his hand upon the knot and the cord glowed intense gold before dissolving in a shower of mist.

When Severus looked down at his hand again, he and Jasmina now bore identical rings on their fingers that each bore the sun disk which was the symbol of Isis.

He leaned forward and gave his new bride a chaste kiss which she accepted with a beautiful smile betraying how happy she was.

The watching audience burst into applause as they saw the magic take hold and that it had accepted Severus.

"Qad 'aqdam alan sayufirus w yasimina allaeim!" Mubarak bellowed in a loud voice.

Severus grinned as he heard the director announce him and Jasmina as man and wife for the first time and the two of them turned to greet the audience who were busy roaring their approval.

Tony was grinning like a mad man and Severus saw Emilia and Minerva and Hatshepsut wiping tears from their eyes with their handkerchiefs.

Henry and Ria were jumping up and down in excitement and glee and Zafeer had a look of pride on his face as he beheld his new son in law.

Not for the first time did Severus thank every god in Egypt that he had chosen on that day so long ago to come to Egypt with the twins.

He almost felt as if even the stars were smiling down on him.

Ω

**Whew! So sorry for the long wait on this one guys. This is one of my favorite stories so I'm going to try and update it as often as I can. I'm rather amazed that so many of you like my original idea with ancient Egypt****and all. Having seven hundred plus followers is a real delight to see. Keep it up guys! The next chapter will be the trip back to England and an interesting tumble with Dumbledore. There will be several time jumps after that which will highlight Henry and Ria's school years. Also in the next chapter will be the blood adoption and the changing of their names so expect that they won't be Henry and Ria anymore. Don't worry, I've picked out some pretty cool names. Don't forget to review and enjoy! **


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